The United States keeps 2.26 million people behind bars, by far the world's highest incarceration rate.
So many prisoners are expensive, costing taxpayers $68 billion annually.
So many prisoners are also exceeding available infrastructure, with capacity crises in Texas, California, Arizona, and other states. The war on drugs has quadrupled the number of prisoners behind bars since 1980. Nonviolent offenders now make up 60% of America's prison population.
Overcrowding has led to rising levels of violence and unsafe and uncomfortable living conditions.
An unprecedented 2.2 million Americans live behind bars.
International Centre For Prison Studies
The average inmate serves a three-year sentence — nine months longer than they did in 1990.
The number of inmates serving time for drug offenses has exploded, with drug offenders making up 48% of federal inmates and 17% of state inmates.
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