9.13. Current Issues in Corrections: Mass Incarceration 
DAVID CARTER 
The section on punishment started with a discussion about feeling safe and secure in our homes. Feeling 
safe and secure in person and home is arguably one of the most discussed feelings in our nation today.  Our 
fear of crime influences how we think and act day to day. This has caused great fluctuation in the United 
States, in regards to how we punish people who are convicted of violating the law. In part, punishment 
comes from the will of the people, which is then carried out by the legislative process, and converted into 
sentencing practices. However, has our desire to feel safe and secure been taken too far by policy? And, have 
these policies created even bigger problems for us as citizens? This final section on corrections attempts to 
answer how we as America are doing, in order to solve our crisis in corrections. 
To give an idea about America’s use of prisons, here is a comparison of the United States to other countries 
around the world. As one can see, America uses punishment fairly well. In fact, one could argue that we are 
the best at it. 
International Imprisonment Rates 
372