Crime & Incarceration

There is no direct relationship between crime rates and incarceration rates. Crime rates today are at the lowest levels in 30 years and yet the number of inmates incarcerated in jails and prisons is at an all time high. That there is no direct relationship between the two can be seen in states where prison growth has leveled out or declined yet the crime rate continues to drop. Incarceration rates reflect crime policies more than levels of criminal activity. As a result, jail size is not a function of the crime rate in a community. A higher number of beds per capita does not bring about less crime; a lower number of beds per capita does not result in more crime.

There is no relationship.