The USA locks up so many people that it’s hard to compare us to other places around the world. 1 out of every 5 people imprisoned throughout the entire world is imprisoned in this country!
That’s a HUGE number – and when you think about population sizes, it’s even worse.
We have less than 5% of the world’s population, but a whopping 20% of the world’s imprisoned population!
Other nations just don’t compare to the USA. For example, we incarcerate MORE people than China – even though China has a BILLION citizens! And there’s more.
Countries that American politicians denounce, like Iran, don’t even compare. We are NUMBER ONE in the world for incarceration.
The US has locked up over 2.3 million people – and not for the reasons they claim.
The prison industry is a white supremacist business. Locking people up means contracts for food and construction, job creation, exploited prison labor, and more. This is a major reason why the USA has more people in prison than the populations of some major cities!
Black people bear the brunt of policing and imprisonment. We’re targeted by a system that is not protecting us. It’s time for us to divest from the idea the prison system is something we should defend in any way!