The United States Incarceration Rate
The United States has the greatest incarceration rate in the world, with more inmates in its local, federal, and government prisons. The growth was caused by the nation's war on drugs movement, which began in the 1970s. The country is home to around 4.4% of the world's population and 22% of the world's convicts. According to surveys published in 2013, 716 people out of every 100,000 were jailed. The rate has been steadily reducing, with the number of inmates per 100,000 people falling to 666 in 2015 and 666 in July 2017, a slight increase to 693 prisoners per 100,000 of the national population were incarcerated. The rate has been declining significantly such that in 2015, the number decreased to 666 prisoners per 100,000 and by July 2017, a slight increase to 693 prisoners per 100,000 of the national population. The country is at now the second largest with the highest rate of incarceration in the world.
Impact on Employment
The number of people in prisons has made more people have criminal records which limit their ability to participate in economic activities including employment. Estimations by the US Center for Economic and Policy Research suggests that the likelihood of those people who have been incarcerated to gain employment is less by 30% unlike those who have not been in prison. It also becomes difficult for them to get back their work after completing the prison sentence.
Declining Workforce
The workforce of the US has substantially declined due to the high imprisonment and detention rates. The male population makes up the majority of the prisoners with a percentage of almost 93 as compared to women, with the age range of between 25 to 34 years. The mentioned age range consists of the most productive population of any nation who drive its economy to prosperity.
Drug Use and Incarceration
The high incidences of drug use in the United States is a contributing factor to the high rates of incarceration with those affected being those from low-income groups. The law does not provide solutions to these problems but opts for imprisonment which is a disadvantage to most people who live is crime related communities. The incarceration of many people directly impacts the labor force by removing them from their works for a long time and provides no guarantee for their return. There are no mechanisms in place that give the people opportunities to reestablish their lives after coming out of prison further derailing the nation’s economy. They also face stigmatization and discrimination from others which reduces their useful participation work thus a reduction in their labor demand. As a result of unemployment and low production, poverty sets in among the members of the affected communities thus negatively impacting the economic development of the nation (Kearney, 2014).
Financial Impact
The large numbers of prisoners who require constant maintenance have currently stretched the US budget. The most substantial amount of money is used for health care among the inmates mainly because of the overcrowded jails, making the spread of diseases faster. The old population is also on the rise because of the people serving long time sentences. The resources used for a large number of inmates could have been used for other development projects.
Economic Implications
The country has set annual 80 billion dollars for incarceration which is a significant sum which impacts on the economy of the country (Kelly, 2016). A considerable amount of money translates to unavailability of funds for other sectors such as education from where people can be educated to reduce crime rates. Because learning helps in enhancing the development of the economy, a lack of resources and funds in the sector considerably weakens the growth and development of the economy.
References
Kearney, M. S. (2014, December 22). The Economic Challenges of Crime & Incarceration in the United States. Retrieved from Brookings: https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/the-economic-challenges-of-crime-incarceration-in-the-united-states/
Kelly, S. (2016, July 7). The US spends a troubling amount of money on prisons compared to schools. Retrieved from BusinessInsider: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-spending-on-prisons-grew-at-three-times-rate-of-school-spending-report-2016-7?IR=T
