More incarceration does not equal less crime.
The ACLU posted a fascinating infographic this week.
The above graphic compares the change incarceration rates and the change in crime rates from 1999 to 2009.
Illinois’ prison population has skyrocketed since 1970, but has not grown considerably in the past decade, as illustrated by this chart produced by the John Howard Association, a Chicago-based prison watchdog organization.
Illinois’ crime rate has dropped nearly 25% from 1999 to 2009 without a considerable jump in incarceration.
Even still, like many other states, we have exceeded our prison capacity, leaving us with the choice between incarcerating fewer/releasing more people, or building more prisons. We can learn from New York, Indiana, and our own experience and safely say more prisons are not the answer.