Looking at prison overcrowding from a victim’s rights perspective

Looking at prison overcrowding from a victim’s rights perspective
Looking at prison overcrowding from a victim’s rights perspective

Looking at prison overcrowding from a victim’s rights perspective

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According to some experts, the incarceration rate in the US is 5 times pre-1975 levels, and 7 times the levels seen in Canada and in Europe. It’s expensive, and legislators from both sides of the aisle as well as policy makers agree something needs to be done. We explored the notion of low-level offenders — who they are and what effect their release would have on the numbers. But others would take it even further, claiming that sentences in this country are too long, even for violent offenders like rapists and murders. So how long should someone go to prison for a car theft, a rape, a murder? We talk about where you draw the line between punishment and rehabilitation in prison. One of the voices in this debate is that of crime victims and their families. For that we turn to Jennifer Bishop Jenkins, the Director of illinoisvictims.org, a group that provides resources for victims of violent crimes. (Flickr/Kate Ter Haar)