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50 Things Nobody Tells You About Being in Prison

The Infographics Show・29 minutes read

The US has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with various factors contributing to high prison populations and issues of wrongful convictions. The prison-industrial complex in the US is a profitable business involving private prisons, cheap prison labor, and increased violence within facilities.

Insights

  • The USA has the highest incarceration rate globally, with 639 people behind bars for every 100,000 citizens, leading to issues like wrongful convictions, high recidivism rates, and a profitable prison-industrial complex involving private companies.
  • Inadequate legal representation, prosecutorial misconduct, and false testimonies contribute to 2.3% to 10% of US prisoners being wrongly convicted, with factors like drug offenses, racial alliances, and violence shaping the prison environment globally, while some facilities focus on rehabilitation and education for reentry into society.

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Recent questions

  • What is the incarceration rate in the US?

    639 per 100,000 citizens

  • How many Americans enter prison annually?

    600,000

  • What percentage of US prisoners are wrongly convicted?

    2.3% to 10%

  • What are some common contraband items in prisons?

    Mobile phones, drugs, and alcohol

  • What are the recidivism rates in different countries?

    Varies worldwide

Related videos

Summary

00:00

US Mass Incarceration: Statistics and Injustices

  • The USA incarcerates 2.3 million citizens in various facilities, including federal and state prisons, jails, juvenile correctional facilities, and immigration detention facilities.
  • The US has 639 people behind bars for every 100,000 citizens, making it the top country in per capita terms, followed by countries like El Salvador, Turkmenistan, and Palau.
  • 600,000 people enter prison in the US annually, while around 10.6 million Americans enter jail each year, with 160,000 staying for small crimes and a quarter returning within a year.
  • Statistics show that a person is nine times more likely to admit guilt for a misdemeanor crime if they can't make bail, with 95% of cases never going to trial and many innocent people taking plea bargains.
  • The Innocence Project estimates that 2.3% to 10% of US prisoners are wrongly convicted, often due to inadequate legal representation, prosecutorial misconduct, or false testimonies.
  • In the UK, Stephen Downing's case exemplifies a miscarriage of justice, where a young man with learning difficulties confessed to a murder he didn't commit, spending 27 years in prison before being exonerated.
  • In the US, 46.2% of prisoners are incarcerated for drug offenses, with drug availability in prisons leading to addiction among inmates, especially those from poor backgrounds.
  • Paul Geidel and Francis Clifford Smith are examples of individuals who spent over 60 years in prison for crimes they didn't commit, highlighting the issue of wrongful convictions.
  • Research suggests that 4% of people on death row in the US are likely innocent, with 18 individuals exonerated after DNA testing, emphasizing the risks of executing innocent individuals.
  • Prisoners resort to making alcohol, known as hooch or prison wine, using ingredients like sugar, tomatoes, and fruit, while also paying high prices for mobile phones smuggled into prisons, sometimes using cats or extreme methods for concealment.

11:30

"Prison System: Labor, Violence, Contraband, Survival"

  • In prison, a cycle of taking opiates, getting caught, and moving between floors with different privileges was described as a "merry-go-round."
  • Tobacco is expensive in prison, with a single rolled cigarette being sold for two to three dollars.
  • Contraband discovered in an Irish prison in 2020 included mobile phones, 800 grams of weed, two grams of cocaine, and 10,000 pills.
  • The prison-industrial complex in the US is a profitable business involving private prisons, food services, handcuff makers, and more.
  • Companies like McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and Nike have benefited from cheap prison labor in the US.
  • Prisoners in some facilities earn as little as $2.25 a day for work, with additional costs for phone calls and snacks.
  • Violence in US prisons has increased over the years, with 120 homicides reported in 2020.
  • Ecuadorian prisons have seen numerous murders due to gang rivalries, leading to a state of emergency being declared.
  • In prison, racial alliances are common, and joining a gang is not always necessary for survival.
  • The prison code advises prisoners to maintain respect, avoid gambling and drugs, and choose friends carefully.

22:47

Global Recidivism Rates and Notable Prison Stories

  • Recidivism rates vary worldwide, with England and Wales at 48%, France at 40%, Finland at 36%, Norway at 20%, Australia at 53%, and the US at 60%.
  • California's recidivism rates were deemed "stratospherically high" at 70% by the US Supreme Court in 2011.
  • Stephen Akpabio-Klementowski earned multiple degrees while serving a 16-year sentence in England, starting with no qualifications.
  • Anthony Ray Hinton spent close to 30 years on death row in Alabama before being exonerated in 2015.
  • Robert Maudsley, known as "The British Hannibal the Cannibal," has been in isolation in England since 1974.
  • San Pedro prison in Bolivia operates more like a village, with prisoners renting cells, markets, and even a prison hotel.
  • Suomenlinna Prison in Finland focuses on preparing inmates for reentry into society, offering modern amenities and rehabilitation programs.
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