So bullets from an article in The Atlantic, (link is to a free site as The Atlantic is behind a paywall) and via No Right Turn.
70% of US prison inmates are illiterate.
two thirds didn’t commit a violent crime
60 to 80% have a history of substance abuse
black men are 5 times more likely to be locked up for drug use than white men, though usage rates are about the same
One in 14 black men in the USA is behind bars right now.
25% of black men in the USA will be locked up at some point in their life
75% of women imprisoned have children
Prisoners in the USA generate a billion dollars in revenue for telephone companies from pay phone calls
In California there are 2.6m outstanding arrest warrants - because there is no room for more people in the jails.
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