More incarceration does not equal less crime.
The ACLU posted a fascinating infographic this week. The above graphic compares the change incarceration rates and the change in crime rates from 1999 to 2009. Illinois’ prison population has skyrocketed since 1970, but has not grown considerably in the past decade, as illustrated by this chart produced by the John Howard Association, a Chicago-based prison watchdog organization. Over on our blog, you can read more about the facts behind why prison is not the answer.