By Aria Jalan
NORTHAMPTON, MA – Across all the democratic nations worldwide, the US has the highest incarceration rate, according to a report from Prison Policy Initiative on global incarceration trends.
“The United States holds a notable distinction in the global landscape: it has the highest incarceration rate among all independent democracies,” states Emily Widra, author of the PPI report.
When looking at the incarceration rates of every U.S. state and territory alongside global counterparts, Widra notes a significant disparity: each state in America, irrespective of its political stance or perceived progressiveness, incarcerates its population at rates that exceed those of the majority of nations globally.
“In comparing states individually to countries, nine states have incarceration rates higher than any other nation except for El Salvador,” Widra’s report finds.
.
Even states known for their relatively lenient criminal justice policies, such as New York and Massachusetts, demonstrate incarceration rates comparable to or exceeding those of states historically associated with higher incarceration rates, like Louisiana and Mississippi, Widra notes in the report.
“For instance, Massachusetts, with the lowest incarceration rate in the U.S., would rank 30th globally, surpassing countries such as Iran and Colombia in terms of per capita incarceration,” Widra wrote in the Prison Policy Initiative report.
This comparison reveals that the use of incarceration across the United States diverges markedly from global norms, Widra argues.
“While some nations with authoritarian regimes share similar rates, the U.S. maintains exceptionally high levels of incarceration despite being a democratic society,” the report observes, adding these high rates do not correlate significantly with crime reduction or public safety improvements.
“The United States stands at a critical juncture regarding its criminal justice policies,” Widra emphasizes, adding, “Recent shifts in public discourse, particularly following the events of 2020 and subsequent policy debates, suggest a potential reevaluation of mass incarceration practices.”
Moving forward, the choices made by policymakers will determine whether the U.S. aligns its incarceration rates with those of its international peers, according to Widra.
“Achieving this will necessitate concerted efforts across all states to prioritize fair and just practices in the criminal justice system,” Widra concludes in the PPI report.
