Could this explain the high percentage of incarceration in the US?

Question

As you may be aware, the US incarcerates a significantly higher percentage of the population compared to other first world countries with about 737 people per 100,000 incarcerated on average compared to Russia and England which incarcerate 581 and 145 people per 100,000 respectively. Experts have come up with many explanations for this, however I think I may have come up with an alternative interpretation for this statistic.

The US population uses private transportation at far greater numbers than most of the world. Most European countries and many Asian countries rely mostly on public transportation. The reason this is important is because the use of private vehicles significantly increases the likelihood of contact with law enforcement. In fact, the largest number of arrests in the US result from traffic stops by police officers and the large percentage of these arrests are secondary to the reason for the stop. My hypothesis is that US citizens don't necessarily commit crimes in greater numbers than the rest of the world, but that the use of private transportation increases the rate of contact with police, and by proxy the number of arrests.

Kieth · Answer

We incarcerate more than many nations, because some of them execute their more serious criminals.

Jeffrey · Answer

We have more people who violate the laws.

Anonymous · Answer

Here's a pie chart of who is held:
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2019.html
You claim police catch people by traffic stops and crime rate is the same.
2,283,000 people incarcerated.
People of color are over-represented by quite a bit.
20.2% have not been convicted of a crime at all.
Prison sentences are longer in the US.
Population is diverse. Many poor people and many angry people.
They aren't in jail because they were picked up in a traffic stop.
Crime rates are down, but still many in jail.
Longer sentences, overburdened courts, no rehabilitation in prison and instead harder to live with a criminal record.

Anonymous · Answer

prison industrial complex. thats literally it. prisons intentionally do what they can to lengthen the sentences of inmates. a lot do offer jobs and education and stuff yet it is only for such a small amount of them. but they make more money with more prisoners. ive known many stories of people who get sentenced 10-20 years then end up spending 30 to life in prison since not only the prison doesnt help them, but actively works against them. they also often pay local law enforcement to bring in more people for the stupidest laws broken and sometimes they even make up the story completely when there is no evidence that can disprove it

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Could this explain the high percentage of incarceration in the US?

4 Answers