I don't think they're playing games we don't play, especially with minor crimes. And certainly there's nothing that would explain the several hundred percent difference in incarceration rates.

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Originally posted by MikeinNC:

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Originally posted by BBMW:
Why? Our crime rate is similar, if marginally higher than other industrialized western democracies, yet our incarceration rate is multiple times higher.

A lot of other countries don't classify some things as crimes...ie drug problems (sales, possession, use)

as mentioned, some departments don't classify crimes properly-ie, a break-in to a car and the larceny there after, is really a felony and is a Class 1 Crime. But if we only report the larceny thereafter then BOOM, Part 1 Crimes are down! YAY for US.....I mention this SPECIFIC crime reporting because I have seen it classified that way for the last decade....

Yet the crime rate is routinely reported to be "down". The guy gathering stats is told to compare the rate against last year or if that's too high then compare it to last month, or this month last year not the entire year...see where I'm going with this.

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I don't think such punishments are realistic in a civilized society.

There is a term we need to define.

Does a "civilized " society allow 40% of the population with criminal tendencies to rule over and ruin it for another 35% of the population ?

Its either much larger penalties ( as proposed above) or a 130% increase in parole officers that reform the criminals on a daily basis.

An Iowa City man arrested last month in connection with a May robbery has been arrested again.

Cedric D. Johnson, 22, is facing a robbery charge in a July 3 incident during which police say he robbed a fellow customer at Kum & Go at 323 E. Burlington St. in Iowa City at about 1 a.m.

Surveillance video shows Johnson entering the gas station and standing beside a man at the counter making a purchase, according to Iowa City police complaints.

As the cashier handed the victim several dollars in change, Johnson ripped the money from his hands, grabbed coins from the automatic dispenser and took the item the victim had purchased before leaving the store, police said.

As he left, Johnson hit the victim in the chest, causing him to nearly lose his balance, police said.

Johnson has been charged with second-degree robbery, a class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The charge comes a few weeks after Johnson was arrested on another second-degree robbery charge for an incident at Falbo's Pizza in May during which police say he assaulted a fellow customer and stole about $1,800 in cash from him.

Johnson posted a surety bond for $25,000 on July 24 and was released pending trial before being booked back into the Johnson County Jail on Thursday, online court records show.

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Kum & Go at 323 E. Burlington St. in Iowa City at about 1 a.m.

Cute name for a business. Beats Seven Eleven.

I'd look at the demographics of the US and the other "Western" nations if you want a fair comparison.