The United States currently has the highest total prison population in the world, with over 2 million US citizens serving various sentences in both federal and state prisons and experts have attributed it to the mandatory sentencing law which are now being reformed.
According to Portland State University’s online criminal justice program, the number is much higher than that of other countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, and China.
The high number of inmates is the result of mandatory sentencing law, which often puts low-level offenders in federal and state prisons for a minimum of 5 years. The same law is also causing the federal prison budget to be as high as that of federal law enforcement agencies.
The US government is taking active steps to reform the old law. In 2010, it introduced the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. In 2015, another law designed to further balance the equation was also introduced. Known as the Fair Sentencing Act of 2015, this new law will bring many of the changes needed to restore balance.
You can learn more about the sentencing reform from the What You Need to Know About Sentencing Reform infographic created by Portland State University.
Portland State University Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice
