New statistics on US crime released by the FBI reveal that crime has dropped significantly over the past few years while prison populations have exploded, putting huge strains on state budgets. On MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts this morning, The Nation‘s Melissa Harris-Perry says the statistics show a "precipitous drop" in the violent crime rate, but that does not mean that increased incarceration led to this drop. "Prisons don’t create a lower crime rate," concludes Harris-Perry.

You can catch Melissa on MSNBC Live every Tuesday and Thursday between 11am and noon.

—Kevin Gosztola