Final answer:
True, the just deserts philosophy contributed to the increase in U.S. prison populations through the war on drugs, law-and-order politics, and economic incentives within the prison industry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the just deserts philosophy has led to substantial and continued increases in the American prison population is true. Federal statistics document a rise in the prison population from around 200,000 inmates in 1970 to 2.2 million four decades later. This growth is multifaceted, stemming from racial and economic factors, the cultural politics of the United States, such as the war on drugs and law-and-order policies, and the influential lobbying power of the prison industry.
The get tough on crime programs of the 1980s, together with laws like the “three strikes” rule, led to overcrowded prisons and increased incarceration for both violent and nonviolent offenses. While crime rates have declined, the correlation between high incarceration rates and lower crime is tenuous and crime reduction is not consistent across all states. Moreover, the over-reliance on incarceration as a singular approach to crime prevention has been criticized internationally, with the U.S. holding the highest number of prisoners worldwide.
Ultimately, this philosophy and approach to criminal justice, which promotes longer and harsher sentencing, has contributed to an unprecedented growth in prison populations, often neglecting the root causes of crime such as poverty and drug addiction. The debate on the effectiveness and fairness of these policies remains a contentious issue in U.S. criminal justice discourse.