2.5 Million People Imprisoned in The United States

The United States keeps nearly

10 percent of the country's total population in prisons at any given time.

In spite of the fact that it keeps such a huge number of people incarcerated, the United States fervently claims itself to be a harbinger of human rights and democratic values to other countries.
The United States is currently world’s number one record holder for having the highest percentage of incarcerated people in jails across the country due to harsh drug laws, minimum sentencing guideline and repeated imprisonment of non-violent offenders.

There are now over 2.5 million individuals imprisoned in the United States and this number keeps growing on daily basis. In spite of the fact that it holds such a huge number people incarcerated, the United States fervently claims itself to be a harbinger of human rights and democratic values to other countries.

Below is a list compiled by the Center for Economic Policy Research depicting the most recent data on incarceration levels in the United States.

As one can see the number of people in jail increased gradually from 1980 after the economic crash and has kept rising steadily ever since. Prior to that year imprisonment levels followed a normal pattern for nearly hundred years without major changes.

Another graph shows a comparative depiction of incarceration levels amongst some countries with the United States well ahead of even the most crime ridden, poor and war-torn nations in the world.

Again it can be seen that the United States outflanks every other country in the world by its huge number of imprisoned population.