摘要：In 2005, over 2 million U.S. residents were in prisons or
jails. The incarceration rate, 737 of every 100,000 U.S.
residents, was over five times the rate among European
Community nations. Moreover, the current high incarceration
rate and the increases over the past 30 years
represent a significant departure from the incarceration
levels that characterized much of the 20th century. For
example, prior to the 1970s, the number of inmates in
state and federal prisons consistently hovered around
110 per 100,000. Since 1970, this rate has increased by
more than fourfold.
