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BJS: Prison Statistics
On June 30, 2008 —
– 2,310,984 prisoners were held in federal or state prisons or in local jails – an increase of 0.8% from yearend 2007, less than the average annual growth of 2.4% from 2000-2007.
Keep in mind that prison population is growing much faster than the population as a whole. Also keep in mind that 2.3 million prisoners are not considered unemployed. They are technically not working at the present time but they are also not able to work at the present time.
There are 15.1 million unemployed people in this country. I might be a bit biased (since my girlfriend is unemployed and I have too in the past), but I think it is a good idea that the government is willing to extend unemployment benefits.
Poll question: Would you steal food to feed your family?
5 comments:
Stag,
Your chart highlights a glaring deficiency in our criminal justice system. Specifically, our prisons should be majorily populated by financial fraudsters.
Mark,
That is a really depressing chart.
mab,
Yeah, multi-billion dollar financial ponzi schemes aren't considered to be violent crimes. Go figure.
GYSC,
Most of my charts seem really depressing. Great Depressing. Sigh. Here's a pie chart to cheer you up though.
http://pipsbadideas.blogspot.com/2009/03/geek-holiday-pi-day.html
Pie I have eaten.
Pie I have not yet eaten.
Stag,
Yeah, multi-billion dollar financial ponzi schemes aren't considered to be violent crimes.
Not only are they not considered crimes, they are CONsidered as essential to our eCONomic well being. No joke.
The current wisdom is that if the debt ponzi scheme falters, America will die. In that light, Cramer is a national treasure. And our best and brightest ponzi schemers (investment bankers) are worth every penny.
Yesiree! There sure are times I feel down right lucky we have a Fed Chairman that understands shams so well.
mab,
"The current wisdom is that if the debt ponzi scheme falters, America will die."
It would leave us with a country filled with feral housing (my most recent post).
Unfortunately, based on the path we are on, it isn't a matter of if but more a question of when.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that Detroit took 60 years to get where it is now. Its population peaked in the 1950s.
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