Most crimes never lead to arrests. But a lot of those criminals might eventually be arrested for other things. And somehow we end up with a remarkably huge number of people incarcerated, comparatively.
maybe US has a combination that together isn't true of other countries:
1. social dysfunction which leads to crime &
2. strong, relatively reliable state capacity (ex. police are able to intervene and not be scared or bought off by gangs) &
3. state generally relies on responding to crime or particular situations rather than attempts to preemptively restrain entire population as in totalitarianism
Yeah this is absolutely true, and I've thought that to myself as well
I think another point that needs to be added is the recidivism rate in America's huge because America simply REFUSES to rehabilitate or give anyone a second chance.
If you refuse to let criminals get a job or housing, ofc they're going to turn to crime again.
If you refuse to allow people to reintegrate into society, you may as well just lock up anyone witha record for life (for the record, I do not support that, I actually do not believe in life sentences either (bar exceptional circumstances), it's just to prove my point on America's refusal to rehabilitate people).
But America just seems to be a very vengeful country
