The Five Most Ruthless Police States in America

This past decade has seen such a large increase in the U.S. prison and jail population that there can be no historical comparison, reports the National Institute of Corrections. If the number of those incarcerated were added to the unemployment rate, the rate would be 2% greater. In the year 2000, 2 million (or 25%) of the world's 8 million prisoners were housed in the U.S. (which only has 5% of the world's population). That figure grew to nearly 2.3 million in 2010.

There is little demonstrative correlation between actual crime rates and imprisonment policies. Incarceration policies in the U.S. disproportionately impact minorities, particularly African Americans. The amount of money spent to incarcerate 1.2 million nonviolent offenders is six times that spent on child care for 1.25 million children.