The Economist

The Economist is a weekly magazine of business and politics. The editors of the Economist argue in the following viewpoint that America’s high incarceration rates are a symptom of serious flaws in the U.S. criminal justice system. Harsh, inflexible sentencing guidelines have resulted in thousands of individuals being locked up for years for relatively minor crimes, with little possibility of parole. The Economist also emphasizes how ineffective prison is in reforming criminals: The lack of rehabilitation programs within prisons and the social discrimination that ex-convicts face after returning to normal life makes it very likely that released prisoners will return to a life of crime. Clearly, the editors of the Economist write, the U.S. prison system is in need of serious reform. As you read, consider...