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America’s incarceration rate is in decline

theatlantic.com

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Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#431

Post by Drunkfoowl »

zellyn wrote: post #399
strict9 wrote: post #12

> Rapidly declining numbers of youth are committing crimes, getting arrested, and being incarcerated. This matters because young offenders are the raw material that feeds the prison system: As one generation ages out, another takes its place on the same horrid journey. Another factor which will soon impact this, if it isn't already, is the rapidly changing nature of youth. Fertility rates have been dropping since 200…

If you do decide to wait longer, be aware that there are hilarious differences geographically. When we had our first kid in SF, the other dads pushing swings were around the same age as me (fortyish). Moving back to Georgia… oh my god, the parents of kids my second kid’s age were babies! (There are “graybeard dad” Facebook groups etc., but the average vibe is way different)

[dead]

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#433

Post by jajko »

CPLX wrote: post #421
Workaccount2 wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lifestyle is key here. An older friend conveyed to me pretty much the exact same thing you are, that he cannot imagine having kids at 40 because you will not be able to keep up with them energy wise. You get old and your body really starts to give in. Alright Geoff, thanks, but you are 54 and do zero exercise, have a diet of eating out at fast food and fast casual restaurants, a body type that would be described as "…

My son was born when I was 45 and I absolutely could not be more happy about it. I am in way better shape than I was at 30, I finally started taking that seriously, and also I am way wiser, more patient, and have more money. So if you hear anyone telling you they can't imagine late fatherhood ignore them, they obviously aren't good at imagining things.

While generally true, you are not the only one aging around you, and some sickness/accident stuff can happen with higher probability as years add up.

The chance you will need to take care of both your kids and your parents in your 50s is pretty high (not even going into you and your partner), while facing declining health yourself.

Could be easily manageable, or not. Ask me in a decade.

But one thing is darn true - if a good long term stable match is not there, no point pushing for kids. World really doesnt need more damaged folks struggling their whole lives to overcome shitty childhood. And thats fine, parenthood is not for everybody and there can be an amazing life to be had instead (and I mean it in best way possible, but that life shouod not be spent behind the desk and on the couch)

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#434

Post by testing22321 »

rendang wrote: post #403
testing22321 wrote: post #384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s clearly very easy to correlate low crime with free healthcare, education, unemployment, social safety net. Compare the US to every other OECD country. Nobody outside the US would even waste their time on having the discussion it is so blaringly obvious, but those in the US suffering the effects will denounce it till the cows come home.

What do you mean by education? The USA has higher PISA scores than peer countries and also has high rates of tertiary education. Do you think that middle class educated people having high student debt burdens causes crime?

Free tertiary education.

The US has vastly higher illiteracy than OECD countries.

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#435

Post by FredPret »

matthewdgreen wrote: post #255
rawgabbit wrote: post #16

This is good news. The level of crime and number of offenders has decreased. Quotes from the article: > As of 2016—the most recent year for which data are available—the average man in state prison had been arrested nine times, was currently incarcerated for his sixth time, and was serving a 16-year sentence. > But starting in the late 1960s, a multidecade crime wave swelled in America, and an unprecedented number of…

The prison industry is very profitable and influential. If prison populations are dropping naturally, you might imagine that politicians might start looking for some new population to incarcerate.

No it isn’t.

One of the biggest ones, GEO, only made $30m last year with a margin of 1.1%.

Another one, CXW, made $84m.

SSTI is losing money.

Microsoft makes $284m… per day.

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#436

Post by Justsignedup »

bluGill wrote: post #55
strict9 wrote: post #12

> Rapidly declining numbers of youth are committing crimes, getting arrested, and being incarcerated. This matters because young offenders are the raw material that feeds the prison system: As one generation ages out, another takes its place on the same horrid journey. Another factor which will soon impact this, if it isn't already, is the rapidly changing nature of youth. Fertility rates have been dropping since 200…

> the act of having a child is much more deliberate and the parents likely having more resources This is both good and bad. Having a child is very difficult, but it gets harder as you get older. You lack a lot of monitory resources as a teen or the early 20s, but you have a lot more energy, as you get older your body starts decaying you will lack energy. A kid had at 40 will still be depending on your when you are 55…

I had a kid at 22, I am now 40 with a kid going to college. I can echo this exact sentiment.

However at 22 I wasn't the experienced person I am today. Nor was I stable, nor could I jump on opportunities like my peers could.

If having a child in your early 20s would mean not losing opportunities in progressing in a career, at least with enough free childcare and food to feed the children, people could be more inclined to have children while they get their life together. Our culture of moving away from home is also a big problem -- having 2 sets of grandparents helping raise a child REALLY helped me at my youth not miss out on youth and still raise my child.

kids between 25-32 is something our society should aim to be as practical and pleasant as possible.

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#437

Post by germinalphrase »

chaps wrote: post #413
photochemsyn wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This points more towards organized crime rings targeting stores, taking large amounts of the same popular items, then reselling them on eBay or Amazon. If you have a smallish number of people doing a largish number of crimes, this won't be reflected in incarceration statistics (particularly if the resellers rarely get caught).

"This points more towards" -- you have any source towards this? :)

I know that in recent years Target has announced that they were investigating, in partnership with local and federal law enforcement, organized theft rings. It was publicly reported on here in Minneapolis.

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#438

Post by quickthrowman »

wizee wrote: post #248
wredcoll wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Society itself is broken. You SHOULD be able to graduate high school and make enough to support yourself and a family with a bit of struggle This has literally only been true for about 30 years out of the sum total of human history, would you like to guess when those 30 years happened to be? Obviously the answer is "1950s america". For the rest of human history, you needed something beyond the education you receive…

People supported families with single incomes with less than high school education for centuries before the 1950s.

No they didn’t, read some history. ‘Cottage industry’ and ‘child labor’ are good search terms to use.

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#439

Post by sixothree »

zellyn wrote: post #399
strict9 wrote: post #12

> Rapidly declining numbers of youth are committing crimes, getting arrested, and being incarcerated. This matters because young offenders are the raw material that feeds the prison system: As one generation ages out, another takes its place on the same horrid journey. Another factor which will soon impact this, if it isn't already, is the rapidly changing nature of youth. Fertility rates have been dropping since 200…

If you do decide to wait longer, be aware that there are hilarious differences geographically. When we had our first kid in SF, the other dads pushing swings were around the same age as me (fortyish). Moving back to Georgia… oh my god, the parents of kids my second kid’s age were babies! (There are “graybeard dad” Facebook groups etc., but the average vibe is way different)

Crime rates in Georgia are higher. So there's that.

Re: America’s incarceration rate is in decline

#440

Post by specialist »

Justsignedup wrote: post #436
bluGill wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the act of having a child is much more deliberate and the parents likely having more resources This is both good and bad. Having a child is very difficult, but it gets harder as you get older. You lack a lot of monitory resources as a teen or the early 20s, but you have a lot more energy, as you get older your body starts decaying you will lack energy. A kid had at 40 will still be depending on your when you are 55…

I had a kid at 22, I am now 40 with a kid going to college. I can echo this exact sentiment. However at 22 I wasn't the experienced person I am today. Nor was I stable, nor could I jump on opportunities like my peers could. If having a child in your early 20s would mean not losing opportunities in progressing in a career, at least with enough free childcare and food to feed the children, people could be more inclined…

Was also a young parent. Empathetic yes to all.

Securing stable health insurance dictated most of my career decisions. I was captive to turrible gigs, had to pass on a lot of opportunities.

Want to revitalize our society?

#1 is Medicare for All. More startups, more risk taking & innovation, higher birth rate, etc.

#2 is childcare. Cheap, plentiful, good quality.

#3 is housing. Again: Cheap, plentiful, good quality. Plus, rentals better suited for young families (eg more 2 & 3 bedroom units).

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