PRISONS FULL, CRIME DROPS

Good To Get Repeat Offenders Off Streets

The data showing that imprisonments went up in the Carolinas between 2001
and 2002 while crime rates generally dropped has some folks asking: What's
wrong with this picture? In their view, the data suggest that the states
jail people unnecessarily.

That may be true with some minor drug crimes, a problem Carolina lawmakers
should correct. And it's never right to railroad innocent people into prison.

But high crime rates generally are the handiwork of relatively few people
committing many crimes. So the 2001-2002 imprisonment statistics make sense
to us. When jails are full, career criminals are off the streets and crime
rates go down.

What's wrong with this picture? Nothing.