US leads world in prison inmate numbers: NYT News
US leads world in prison inmate numbers: NYT

[JURIST] US prisons currently house the world's largest inmate population, according to a Wednesday New York Times report [text] citing data provided by the International Center for Prison Studies [organization website]. The US currently holds 2.3 million inmates, far more than second-in-line China [JURIST news archive], which holds only 1.6 million inmates even though its population is four times that of the US. On a per capita scale, the US also leads worldwide inmate populations, with 751 people imprisoned for every 100,000 in population, compared with 627 inmates for every 100,000 people in Russia, 151 for every 100,000 in England, and 88 for every 100,000 in Germany [JURIST news archives]. The report attributes the high inmate numbers to several factors, including the prevalence of prison sentences for nonviolent crimes, rigorous anti-drug campaigns, and the ready availability of guns.

In February, a report [PDF text; JURIST report] by the Pew Center on the States (PCS) [organization website] found that one in every 100 US adults is currently in prison.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Montgomery started racially-integrated bus service after boycott

On December 21, 1956, buses in Montgomery, Alabama, started racially integrated service following federal court rulings ending on-board segregation. Bus boycott leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were among the first riders under the new scheme. Learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Stalin born

On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia. In 1922, he became leader of the USSR until his death in 1953. During his time as Soviet dictator, Stalin industrialized his country, which he then led to become one of the world's two superpowers after WWII. Through his infamous purges, show trials and nationwide famines, Stalin also became responsible for millions of deaths.