Second Highest Among Industrialized Nations
Number of Prisoners Doubles

By David Phinney
ABCNEWS.com

The U.S. prison population, which has doubled in the past 10 years, is
now only second to Russia among industrialized nations, according to a
new study, `American Behind Bars.'

The explosive increase in this country came as overall crime
levels dropped only slightly. The study concludes that prisons
don’t reduce crime.

`We see no strong relationship between record levels of
incarceration and crime,' says Mark Mauer, author of the report
published by the Sentencing Project, a Washingtonbased nonprofit
organization that studies alternative methods in fighting crime.

Both Russian and the United State surged ahead of other nations
in the number of prisoners behind bars. When compared to most
industrialized countries, U.S. prison populations were six to 10 times
larger, the report finds.

Russia has roughly 690 prisoners per 100,000; the United States
has 600 per 100,000. Most European nations have less than 100 per
100,000.

The report studied crime rates of 59 nations over a 10year
period, between 1985 and 1995.

Several crime and human rights experts concurred with the
findings among industrialized nations, but were wary of statistics
available from developing nations.

It's difficult to rely on figures put out from nations in
Latin America, Africa and Asian nations, they said.

`We have enough trouble keeping track of figures in our own
country. God only knows how a place like Cambodia might keep
record,' says Peter Reuter, professor of public affairs at the
University of Maryland. `What is important is how we compare to
other countries that we are similar to, including Europe and
Japan.'

Drug Convictions Drive Prisoner Increase
Strict drug laws cause the high rates of incarceration in the United
States, Reuter said.

`We have a very high crime rate, but clearly drugs are the
joker in the pack because are so much more punitive,' he said.

Others agreed, including Joseph McNamara, former police chief of
San Jose, Calif., and now Stanford University research fellow. He said
60 percent of all federal prisoners are now serving time for drug
convictions.

`We have quadrupled the number of people in prison largely
due to a drug war that increases violence, racism and
criminality,' he said. `Although we pressure other nations
to emulate our madness in the war against drugs, only the Muslim world
is more strict than we are.'

As an alternative to the threat of prison sentences in fighting
crime, the Sentencing Project called for a number of initiatives,
including increased gun control, expanded drug abuse programs and
community policing efforts.

1995 Incarceration Rates, Selected Nations

1. Russia 690 people per 100,000 population

2. United States 600 people per 100,000 population

3. Belarus 505 people per 100,000 population

4. Ukraine 390 people per 100,000 population

5. Moldova 275 people per 100,000 population

6. South Africa 265 people per 100,000 population

7. Poland 170 people per 100,000 population

8. New Zealand 127 people per 100,000 population

9. Canada 105 people per 100,000 population

10. England and Wales 100 people per 100,000 population

11. France 95 people per 100,000 population

12. Germany 85 people per 100,000 population

13. Switzerland 80 people per 100,000 population

14. Netherlands 65 people per 100,000 population

15. Norway 55 people per 100,000 population

16. Japan 37 people per 100,000 population

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