Putting People in Jail Does Not Lower the Crime Rate

Putting People in Jail Does Not Lower the Crime Rate

Putting People in Jail Does Not Lower the Crime Rate

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.

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

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

Become a Sustaining Donor This September

Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

We must have an independent media that sets the record straight, unearths corruption and abuses of power, and advances a politics of justice and dignity for all if we’re to win this fight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. This September, The Nation needs to add 100 monthly donors to sustain our progressive journalism. Your contribution makes the next investigative report, the next truth-speaking column, and the next pathbreaking essay all possible. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a recurring donation today. If you donate $10 or more a month, we’ll send you a brand new “Hands Off the Free Press!” sticker to recognise your commitment to our cause. Please, donate today. 

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x