About one quarter of the world’s inmates are in a U.S. prison or jail, according to the Pew Center on the States, which recently released an infographic that highlights both the high costs and high rates of recidivism in the American penal system.
One in 104 Americans is currently incarcerated, according to Pew, down from a high of one in 100 in 2008.
Although nearly one out of every 14 state general fund dollars is spent on corrections, one out of every 2.3 inmates returns to prison within three years of release, reports Pew.
See Pew’s infographic below or for a printable version of the graphic, click here.