Despite declining crime rates the number of Americans either in prison or on parole in the U.S. grew again last year to almost 7 million according to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics released yesterday. That means 3.2% of us are in direct government custody today. 25% of those folks (that's 1.7 million Americans) were convicted of a drug offense. The report blames tougher sentencing laws on the increase. Fans of liberty, have a great Monday.

Pat Rogers - 7/27/2004

This issue is, I believe, the achilles heal for John Kerry. He has made his career as a Drug Warrior. Al Gore lost millions of votes to this issue in 2000 between the Independents like me, the Libertarians and the Greens who all grew in disgust at the DLC's support for the anti democracy terrorist funding Drug War. Add to that the millions of Americans disenfranchised due to criminal sanction.

John Kerry...Drug Warrior http://mysite.verizon.net/aahpat/kerr.htm

I R Krubner - 7/26/2004

3.2%? How is that possible? The mind staggers. I recall back when it was only 2% and even then it was said we had a greater percent of our black citizens in jail than South Africa did at the height of aparteid (though perhaps the whole country was a jail for blacks during the aparteid).

I've read that we've more people in jail than other nation in history. Staggering if true.