Myths and Facts

Myth:  Sure, the U.S. incarcerates people, but other countries have higher prison populations

Fact: We’re #1. The U.S. is the world leader in locking people up followed by China, the Russian Federation, and Brazil. (Source: Kings College, London)

Myth:  The U.S. doesn’t torture prisoners.

Fact:  Long-term solitary confinement and use of electronic weapons like Tasers are common inside U.S. prisons. The United Nations Committee against Torture defines confinement in supermax prisons and control units and use of electronic shock devices as torture. 

Myth:  Mentally ill people go to hospitals. Criminals go to prison.

Fact: Prisons are America’s new asylums. In 2006, 64% of people in jail, 56% of people in state prisons, and 45% of people in federal prisons had symptoms of serious mental illness. (Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Myth:  Putting people in prison reduces crime.

Fact: Investing in people and communities through a variety of programs - from Early Head Start to drug and alcohol treatment to mental health programs – are more cost effective ways of reducing crime without building more prisons. Washington State found that investing in programs rather than prison building could save the state a billion dollars and contribute to lower crime rates.

Myth:  Oregon doesn’t have a problem with racism and the criminal justice system.

Fact:  Over 10% of people in Oregon’s prisons are African American, but just over 2% of the entire population of the state is African American. We’re disproportionately arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating people of color in Oregon.