Question

Although crime rates in the U.S. began to decline in the mid-1990s, incarceration rates continued to increase into the 2000s.

A. True
B. False

Answer 1

The statement that U.S crime rates declined in the mid-1990s while incarceration rates kept rising into the 2000s is true. The law-and-order movement led to increased prison populations due to tough sentences for even nonviolent crimes. Incarceration rates peaked but have been in decline since 2007.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that crime rates in the U.S began to decline in the mid-1990s while incarceration rates continued to increase into the 2000s is true. Despite a decrease in crime rates since the 1980s, with violent crimes halving by 2016 compared to 1993, the incarceration rates continued to climb, particularly during the war on drugs which began in the 1980s.

The law-and-order movement that promoted harsher penalties for crimes, including nonviolent offenses, led to increased prison populations.

In the late 2000s, the growth in incarceration rates began to face scrutiny due to the high costs and the realization that long-term imprisonment for lesser crimes had little effect on overall crime rates. Consequently, attention shifted toward alternative measures like drug decriminalization.

Nevertheless, by the late 2000s, the United States had the largest prison population globally, with stark disparities along racial lines. Incarceration rates in the U.S began to decline after 2007, but the legacy of these policies continues to have far-reaching effects on society.