By Taylor Smith and Audrey Sawyer
NEW YORK CITY, NY – A task force of the Council on Criminal Justice recently called the United States an “outlier”—compared to most other nations—with prison sentences exceeding 10 years increasingly imposed.
The U.S. imposes longer sentences at a higher rate than other countries, according to Prof. Lila Kazemian of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Analysts are finding that the average U.S. prison term most closely resembles criminal justice practices used in Mexico, El Salvador, and other Latin American countries, in stark contrast to countries that align with other U.S. policies in most European peer nations.
The actual amount of time served is typically lower in the U.S., the study noted, possibly because of requirements in some countries that people serve larger portions of their sentences before being released.
One explanation for this difference—in comparison with European countries—could be the higher rate of homicide in the U.S., which warrants a longer sentence.
“While Georgia and Alabama were ranked first and second for the percent of the prison population sentenced to 10 or more years, these states dropped down to 36th and 55th ranks, respectively, with the adjustment for their higher homicide rates,” the report found. 
The top five perpetrators of long sentences adjusted for homicide rates are listed as Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Utah. In contrast, Norway is both among the lowest for incarceration rate (ranking 73rd out of 75 compared) and in percentage of individuals serving lengthier prison terms (70th out of 75th).
John Maki, director of the council’s task force on long sentences, states: “Its findings underscore the uniquely severe features of U.S. sentencing, which has more in common with developing nations than other affluent countries.”
Since trends differ dramatically across states, comparisons are made state against nation instead.
While many European countries have increased their use of long term sentences in recent decades, Germany’s long term prison population (with life imprisonment sentences) have risen from 21.4 percent in 1995 to 30.2 percent in 2012.
The study noted the average sentence for homicide in the U.S. at 40.6 years. Mexico is listed at 34.2 percent, while being ranked second. 
