1 in 100 Americans in Prison

'Tough on crime' proving expensive stance as state resources dwindle, study reports
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 28, 2008 2:45 PM CST
1 in 100 Americans in Prison
An inmate at the Mule Creek State Prison exercises through pull-ups in an outside yard August 28, 2007 in Ione, California. A panel of three federal judges is looking to put a cap on the California State Prison population after class action lawsuits were filed on behalf of inmates who complained of...   (Getty Images )

One American adult out of 100 is incarcerated, a new study shows—the first time in US history such a high proportion of the population is behind bars. The Pew Center on the States reports the nationwide prison population grew by 25,000 last year, to 1.6 million, with around 700,000 others in local jails.

“Incarceration is an easy response to crime,” the center’s director tells the New York Times. “Being tough on crime is an easy position to take, particularly if you have the money. And we did have the money in the ’80s and ’90s.” But the rising expense—an average 7% of state budgets—is prompting some states to consider alternate approaches for nonviolent offenders. (More prison population stories.)

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