Society has long been concerned with safety and security. A community that is safe is perceived to be more productive and profitable than one that is not. Unsafe communities lead to individuals feeling unsafe and stifled in terms of their ability to be productive and contributing members of society. One way to judge the perceived effectiveness of a given community is to look at crime statistics. America has long been known as a country with a high rate of incarceration. Looking at Intelius felony statistics, it is particularly telling to notice the increase in crime based on one’s perceived power and status in the community.
Convictions Are On the Rise
Individuals who are classified as an owner now account for roughly six percent of all felony convictions in the five states with the highest number of incarcerated individuals. This is a quite a startling statistic. It reveals the truth that individuals with power may be susceptible to criminal elements than those that are not. Sociologists and criminal justice experts have long been concerned with determining the factors leading certain individuals to commit a crime. If you look at the progression of violent crimes by generation, once will find that young people are more likely to commit such a felony offense that middle aged adults. Twenty year olds, for example, are the most likely demographic group to commit a violent crime. That does not discount the fact that members of society who gain power as an adult begin to engage in criminal activity at alarming rates.
Moving Forward
The statistics relating to felony convictions need to be closely examined. Different states reveal various trends, with most pointing to the reality that members of certain demographic groups are disproportionately represented in the prison population. Less than one percent of owners, for example, are considered to be black. The black prison population, however, is over twenty percent in most states. This is even more startling when taking into account the truth that individuals of black descent represent less than thirteen percent of the overall population in the United States. That hope is that change will come once these statistics are brought to light.
While the United States will continue to protect its citizens by incarcerating individuals who would seek to do others harm, the hope is that certain demographic groups will no longer be unfairly targeted. It is also important to move towards prison sentences that are more commensurate with the crime that has been committed. This will result in people with power being punished when they neglect their role within society.
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