Being Tough, Doing Wrong: The Shame of Mass Incarceration

Why does the United States incarcerate a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world?
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Why does the United States incarcerate a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world? Why, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, did we turn to an interrogation regime modeled on the torture practiced by North Korea and the Soviet Union? Why, during World War II, did we remove over 100,000 birthright citizens from their homes and detain them in camps? There is a common thread to these three policies, but it is not what you might think.

Published 10/25/15

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