Land of the Free

The US jail and prison population is over 2.3 million, which is larger than 15 US states.

If inmates had their own state, it'd be 36th largest out of the now 51.

The USA has more jails and prisons than colleges and universities.

States spend more money on prisoners than public school students.

In total, the "correctional" system costs the US taxpayers $39 billion a year.

Someone can steal a car, get locked up, and cost taxpayers many times the value of the car, just to keep the thief incarcerated.
75% of released inmates are rearrested within 5 years.

Nearly half of inmates are in for non-violent, drug offenses.

There are more African Americans under criminal supervision than there were slaves in 1850.

In 1865, slavery and involuntary servitude was abolished, except as punishment for a crime.

Yes, slavery in the USA still legally exists.

Prisoners today are forced to work in factories, farms, fields, mines, warehouses, kitchens and call centers, for major for-profit corporations.

Next time you see "Made in the USA" you'll have to wonder.

Welcome to the Land of the Free.

https://www.federalregister.gov/…/annual-determination-of-a…
http://www.ussc.gov/…/research…/2016/recidivism_overview.pdf
https://www.nij.gov/…/correct…/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx
http://archive.vera.org/…/price-of-prisons-updated-version-…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/the-u-s-has-more-jails-t…/…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/the-states-that-spend-mo…/…
http://www.nj.com/…/see_which_nj_school_districts_spend_the…
https://www.theatlantic.com/…/prison-labor-in-ameri…/406177/