NEW YORK TIMES Column: …The United States spent about $80 billion on its system of jails and prisons in 2010 — about $260 for every resident of the nation. By contrast, its budget for food stamps was $227 a person.
In 2012, 2.2 million Americans were in jail or prison, a larger share of the population than in any other country; and that is about five times the average for fellow industrialized nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The nation’s unique strategy on crime underscores the distinct path followed by American social and economic institutions compared with the rest of the industrialized world… (more)
Nice try New York Times. From a cost of crime study:
“Using predominantly NCVS (National Crime Victimization Study) data, victim losses due to crimes against individuals and households were estimated at $450 billion ($1,800 per resident) per year from 1987–1990.
These losses included $18 billion in medical and mental health care spending, $87 billion in other tangible costs, and $345 billion in pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life. Rape had the highest annual victim costs of all offense categories at $127 billion per year ($124,419 per offense). Per-offense crime cost estimates were also presented for murder ($4.4 million), aggravated assault ($21,451), robbery ($18,591), arson ($53,629), larceny/theft ($529), motor vehicle theft ($5,720), and burglary ($2,145). These estimates excluded crime career costs and included only police and fire services in criminal justice system costs, leaving out major elements such as legal, adjudication, and corrections costs.”
Adjusted for inflation the 450 billion dollar 1990 number is 801 billion in 2013 dollars. Sounds like a bargain to me.