Title should read "Crime rate down because justice is being served."

Crime rate down, but prison population on the rise
SIOBHAN McDONOUGH, Houston Chronicle Original Article

While the U.S. crime rate has fallen over the past decade, the number of people in prison and jail is outpacing the number of inmates released, the government reports. . . . .

Analysis:

Several articles are surfacing about how inmate population is on the rise with a spin that the rise in incarcerations is something that should be stopped or reduced. The US is often compared to other countries as having the highest percentage of personnel incarcerated. While the article above mentions in the title that US crime rate is down, it does not give a comparative percentage in conjunction with the rise in inmate population.

Between 2000-2003, inmate population went up 4.83%. (According to this article.)

Between 2000-2003, overall crime went down 1.57% (See Crime in the United States, 2003, FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. 2000-2003 data was used since this is the latest data from the source found).

Based on rough analysis, it seems that the US is putting folks behind bars that need to be behind bars. It also appears that mandatory drug sentences, "three-strikes-and-you're-out" laws for repeat offenders and "truth-in-sentencing" laws that restrict early releases are working and should continue to be enforced.

However, this and several other articles often cite institutions/people which advocate alternatives to tough sentencing like the "Sentencing Project" and "Justice Policy Institute" cited in this article.

I am hard pressed to listen to or entertain these institution/people when we already have effective sentencing guidelines that are reducing overall crime.

Crime in America reach a pinnacle in 1991 (See Crime in the United States, 2003, FBI, Uniform Crime Reports). Tough and mandatory sentencing guidelines have resulted in a 31% reduction of the Total Crime Index from 1991 to 2003. Something I learned long ago and continue to carry with me. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Not only are tough and mandatory sentencing guidelines not broke, they are working marvelously. Now is not the time to listen to people or instituations who want to open up our prisons and jails and let these criminals back on our streets so they can commit more crimes. We tried that prior the the 1990's. It didn't work then, it won't work now. Putting criminals in prison is what lowers crime. If professionals want to experiment with rehabilitation, experiment in prison under controlled circumstances. Criminals should serve their time since they did the crime.