The USA is Number One.

The per capita US jail and prison population is the highest in the world, in fact 7 times greater than that of Canada. All I read and hear from politicians and justice department officials is: "We need more prisons, we need more money for prisons and prison guards". One would hope and think that somewhere the statistic that 1 in 99 people in America are in jail or prison would trigger some intelligent discussion and raise some questions, but this is obviously not perceived as a problem. Too many vested interests at stake.

What can we deduct from this? Is life here in the US safer than in Canada, by a factor of 7?

One thing is certain, if you are young, underprivileged and cannot afford an attorney, you are 7 times more likely to be thrown in jail in the US than if you were living in Canada.

The social ramifications of this are horrific. The cost to society and social services after a person is released from jail or prison is enormous. Talk to someone who has been incarcerated for what may be a minor felony and ask them how easy it has been to find work. Bearing in mind that they have supposedly paid their debt to society.

It is no longer justice or rehabilitation - It's the US Criminal Justice Industry.