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April 17, 2008
We're Number Four!
In case you were wondering, DC currently ranks as the fourth most incarcerated city in the United States. Of course, the crime rate in the District is actually down at the moment, so it looks like our ignoble ranking is mostly the result of general socio-political dysfunction.
The report by the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington-based group that focuses on what it considers an over-reliance on incarceration, said that people are more likely than ever to stay in city and county jails before trial. One reason is they can't afford bail. A significant portion of those in jail are homeless, addicted to drugs or mentally ill -- not hardened criminals, the report said.
(I can't imagine that these problems are helped at all by Congress's refusal to allow some much needed changes in the city that could allow for improved social programs, but that's another story.)
Luckily for all involved, some of us still have a near-puritanical faith in the transformative power of education. Let's take a moment to watch this video as we remember that reading scores are powerful predictors of future incarceration rates. Ahhhh . . . That's better.
Posted by Drew at April 17, 2008 10:47 AM