In a recent syndicated column ("More Prisons, Less Crime [5]), commentator George Will argues that the world record incarceration rate in the United States has produced safer streets and has been beneficial in particular to African Americans, who are disproportionately victims of crime. Will's selective use of data and limited vision provide an inaccurate portrayal of current criminal justice policy and its effects.
In a briefing paper, The Sentencing Project refutes Will's argument on prison racial disparities, federal crack cocaine sentencing and the impact of incarceration on crime.
Do Prisons Equal Less Crime? [6] provides an assessment of some of the key arguments raised in the Will column. We hope you find this analysis useful in your work.
-The Sentencing Project