America's Prisons Hold More Than 1.5 Million

Today there are over 1.5 million in state and federal prisons. Another 750,000 are in the nation’s jails,” said the report.

“The growth has been constant—in years of rising crime and falling crime, in good economic times and bad, during wartime and while we were at peace. A generation of growth has produced prison populations that are now eight times what they were in 1970,” it continued.

While prisons are overcrowded, crime rates are steady in many cities, but rising in others. Authors of the report, proposed shorter prison terms, and changes to laws that govern probation and parole violations to reduce numbers behind bars.

Another report highlight: If Black and Latinos were incarcerated at the same rate as Whites, there would be 50 percent fewer people incarcerated. Approximately 60 percent of those incarcerated are Black or Latino, the study said Nov. 19

“The demonization of criminals has become a special burden for young Black males, of whom nearly one-third will spend time in prison during their life,” the report said.

“The fear of Black men and other factors fuel the racially disproportionate imprisonment and convinces many Americans that Black males are an especially ‘dangerous’ class of people, different from the rest of us ...

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