The data show that areas with high incarceration rates generally have higher crime rates; and areas with lower incarceration rates generally have lower crime rates.
The article then deduces that high incarceration rates CAUSE high crime rates when it seems blatantly obvious to me that the causation runs in the OPPOSITE direction.
Areas with high crime rate cause high incarceration rates because as crime rate goes up, more people must be put in prison.
I don't necessarily disagree with the article's agenda (to support prison reform) but the reasoning seems shockingly lacking.
Also, the article mentions that the incarceration budget went up by 340% with no meaningful change to public safety, but fails to mention that inflation during the same time period was 240%....so the budget didn't really increase all that much.
The article then deduces that high incarceration rates CAUSE high crime rates when it seems blatantly obvious to me that the causation runs in the OPPOSITE direction.
Areas with high crime rate cause high incarceration rates because as crime rate goes up, more people must be put in prison.
I don't necessarily disagree with the article's agenda (to support prison reform) but the reasoning seems shockingly lacking.
Also, the article mentions that the incarceration budget went up by 340% with no meaningful change to public safety, but fails to mention that inflation during the same time period was 240%....so the budget didn't really increase all that much.