article_snippet.sent: America has the highest incarceration rate in the worldthe world, with 5% of the world's population and 25% of America prisoners.
article_snippet.sent: Nearly 2½ million Americans are in prison.
article_snippet.sent: Over 65 million people, or 20% of America, have criminal records.
article_snippet.sent: We must start by asking a simple question: Why are so many Americans criminals?
article_snippet.sent: No wonder America's prison population is out of control.
article_snippet.sent: Americans aren't addicted to crime; our politicians are addicted to criminalizing things.
article_snippet.sent: Sadly, the criminalization of Americans also traps the criminalization of Americans in poverty.
article_snippet.sent: According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, incarceration leads to reduced wages (11% drop), employment (nine weeks lost annually), and earnings overall (40% annually).
article_snippet.sent: Making matters worse, over half of new prisoners are at or below the poverty line and three-quarters of former prisoners are sent back to jail within five years of three-quarters of former prisoners release.
article_snippet.sent: Too many reformed convicts return to jail because Too many reformed convicts face insurmountable barriers that keep Too many reformed convicts from living a normal life.
highlights_snippet.sent: America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, holding 25% of the world's prisoners .
  