evidence: Twenty-four states have higher incarceration rates than the national average. These states are: Even more shocking are the statistics from more "progressive states." The state with the lowest incarnation rate in the country, Massachusetts, would rank 17th globally, higher than countries like Colombia and Iran. New York has an incarceration rate higher than multiple countries with murder rates more than double those in the United States. [...] High incarceration rates due to low-level crime have often been linked with other issues, including homelessness. In other words, people in these desperate situations might flee their life to avoid jail time and consequently become unable to hold a regular job, pay taxes, and generally be fully functional members of society. On a conceptual level, it seems that many jurisdictions still prefer to resort to jail time rather than look for more sustainable solutions, especially for those crimes for which jail might be an overreaction.