The US prison population has hit a shocking 1.6 million inmates! That is 1 out of every 100 US citizens now live behind bars,never mind what happens to their behinds there behind bars. Sociologists have been studying the phenomenon for years now and there are multiple theories.
Some see the arduous nature of US life as the answer. Numerous inmates agreed that life behind bars surely beats life in the jungle of American culture. Others believe that since all US prisoners have full health benefits including dental care that Prison is the new welfare state.
Since 1 out of every 10 American family have an imprisoned family member, other sociologists are thinking that it's the new keeping up with the Joneses. Like the Australians, Americans are now competing with each other for a notable family criminal.
One student of the phenomenon thinks it is a case of imitating the lives of the rich and the infamous. So many famous Americans from Presidents to Star athletes flagrantly break the law that who can blame the average Josephine from going criminal?
