Did you know that with only 5% of the world's population, the U.S. has 25% of the world's prison population? The ACLU documents this and more in a sobering but cool new infographic.
Check it out, then post on your Facebook or Twitter. It's time to take action to reduce our incarceration rate and the first step is educating the public and our political leaders about the fact that the United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world.
America’s criminal justice system should keep communities safe, treat people fairly, and use fiscal resources wisely. But more Americans are deprived of their liberty than ever before - unfairly and unnecessarily, with no benefit to public safety. Especially in the face of economic crisis, our government should invest in alternatives to incarceration and make prisons options of last – not first – resort.
