Since 2002, the United States has maintained the highest incarceration rate in the world. Although prison populations are increasing in various parts of the world, more than 1 percent of American adults are now behind bars; equating to 1 out of 100 American adults (which surpasses any other nation on earth). In fact, the USA holds 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Combining the number of people in prison and jail with those under parole or probation supervision, it’s estimated that 1 in every 31 adults (aka. 3.2 percent of the US population) is under one form of correctional control or another.
The following infographic looks at incarceration trends in America.
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