Understanding mass incarceration in the US is the first step to reducing a swollen prison population
- Written by Jeffrey Bellin, Mills E. Godwin, Jr., Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School
People incarcerated at a county jail in North Dakota gather together. Andrew Burton/Getty ImagesThe incarceration rate in the United States fell in 2021 to its lowest levels since 1995 – but the U.S. continues to imprison a higher percentage of its population than almost every other country.
The U.S. incarcerates 530 people for every 100,000...