U.S. incarceration nation, with only 5% of the world's population we house 25% of the world's prison population.

America’s criminal justice system should keep communities safe, treat people fairly, and use fiscal resources wisely. But more Americans are deprived of their liberty than ever before - unfairly and unnecessarily, with no benefit to public safety. Especially in the face of economic crisis, our government should invest in alternatives to incarceration and make prisons options of last – not first – resort.

Link: http://www.aclu.org/combating-mass-incarceration-facts-0