The New Yorker recently had an article citing the seriousness of America’s growing prison population.  The article discusses the sheer numbers of Americans incarcerated and breaks it down to show how minorities and drug convictions have greatly skewed our society.  Most telling is that at this moment America has more citizens incarcerated than the Soviet’s put in the Gulags or than were owned as slaves.  We as a society are now investing millions of dollars in housing inmates instead of education, infrastructure and drug counseling.  The resources being used to house inmates is absolutely counter to creating a productive society which is based on opportunity and merits.  The next time a prison expansion is proposed think about what else could have been done with the funds?  

The Caging of America