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Semple-Y t1_jebe1um wrote

How is the number of inmates per 100,000 of the entire US 629, while the highest number for a state is 584/100,000?

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cbarrettg OP t1_jebgmsh wrote

The dataset used to compare the United States to other countries is a few years older than the dataset used for comparing the states to each other, which is something I didn't notice before, good catch!

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DevinCauley-Towns t1_jebxqkk wrote

Hmm, I’m not sure that fully explains the difference between the state level data and the national view. The nation was 629 “a few years earlier”, yet somehow the state average is around half of that. Did the country really reduce their total inmate population by ~50% in a few years?

Assuming the other country data remained the same over that same time span then the US would now be ranked ~20th globally rather than 1st. That seems like way too big of a difference to just be caused by a few years difference in the data.

As others have mentioned, is the state data ignoring federal prisons? Could they be defining populations in different ways? It’s tough connecting the two datasets without fully understanding why they are so different.

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anonkitty2 t1_jecxwzd wrote

State prisons and federal prisons are two different types of prison. The state-level data only has state-level prisons. Federal prisons are in national data alone.

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DevinCauley-Towns t1_jecz4o6 wrote

Right, but no where on this infographic does it mention the federal inmates are ignored from the state statistics. The state graphic simply says “inmates”, it doesn’t specify that it is only a subset of inmates physically housed within each state. You can easily look up the number of federal inmates located within each state or even facility, so it isn’t impossible to find the information. OP didn’t even seem to realize the datasets were that different, so that’s likely why it wasn’t called out in the graphic (and also why it should’ve been, since it’s not clear at all).

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shinilh t1_jee0nhf wrote

Yes, don’t you remember all those sensationalist news stories about prisoners being released en masse due to COVID?

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Calladit t1_jebvjzh wrote

Could there also be a disparity due to federal prisons? Or were they counted towards the state they reside in?

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Semple-Y t1_jebjpga wrote

Well, there seems to be a positive trend in the US, then!

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Temporary-Alarm-744 t1_jebu6bm wrote

Not for any good reasons. That trend happened after the criminal reform act and the only reason that went through was to increase the labour force. The for profits systems started to affect the pool of cheap labour to exploit

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SilentHackerDoc t1_jeeb2gi wrote

This is kinda true... It might have amazing benefits too, but the only reason it actually made it through was corporate benefit. Our government makes decisions for big businesses and self-protection now, political power is purchased. Doesn't help people follow and listen to companies whose sole job is to peddle certain beliefs so they get paid by those big businesses.

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Temporary-Alarm-744 t1_jeeiuh9 wrote

Yup, no rehabilitation or attempt at reform.just get out there and work shitty low paying jobs cause your a felon

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kw0711 t1_jecx474 wrote

Yea, this shit is wrong

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nalong55 t1_jedmage wrote

How about people obey laws no matter how ridiculous they are, and know that they can vote to instill what they desire, mainly using drugs it seems…

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Future-Tomorrow t1_jedzx0n wrote

“Wrongful imprisonment” is a common term and depending on where your collective news about the US comes from it seems that due to advances in DNA testing and uncovering of methods and processes used in the 80s, 90s and 2000s, someone is being released every other month for a crime they did not commit.

I’m not clear on what the last line about drugs in your comment is supposed to mean as tampering with evidence or planting it are commonly responsible for wrongful imprisonment cases. Please Google Zach Webster, and he’s by far not the only one.

Police and FBI planting drugs on innocent people or in their homes is a thing.

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