The mass incarceration phenomenon in our country is well-documented. As of the end of 2021, there were more than 1,200,000 incarcerated individuals in the United States. That’s fewer than 10 years earlier, when there were more than 1,700,000 incarcerated, but it is more than twice as many as the 503,000 that were incarcerated in 1970—a growth rate far exceeding that of the United States population during that time.

Globally, the United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. Even in absolute numbers, only China, with just fewer than 1,700,000 incarcerated individuals last year, has more than the United States—but with a total population that is over four times as large.

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