States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2024
Safety & SecuritySummary
Prison Policy Initiative (PPI) states that the United States of America has the highest incarceration rate of any independent democracy on earth. Taking into account U.S. states and territories, PPI found that El Salvador has the highest incarceration rate, and Massachusetts with the lowest rate. Despite this, Massachusetts would rank 30th in the world when compared to the incarceration rates of other countries. While the U.S. has a high incarceration rate, it should be noted that this rate has little impact on violence and crime. In an attempt to change their criminal legal system, America’s default response to crime is incarceration. Such actions result in racist policies like the “war on drugs” and foster public fears and negative perceptions regarding crime and violence.