| The Disaster Center Crime Pages |
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| Rate and Rank of Crimes in the United States 1960 to 2013 Violent Crime Property Crime Rape Robbery Assault Burglary Larceny Theft Motor Vehicle Theft |
| In 1978 the
State with the highest incarceration rate was South
Carolina with 235
inmates per 100,000 people. In2012 it
was Louisiana with
870 inmates per 100,000 people. Over the past 34 years one of
the biggest growth industries in the United States has been the US
criminal justice system. The United
States leads
the world in both the percentage and number of it's citizens
incarcerated. The average rate of people imprisoned by the States has gone up about 4 times since 1978 to 2012 from 110 to 395 per 100,000 people; while the crime rate has been reduced by 36%. The rate of rape does not appear to have been affected by the way the justice system now functions. Some reduction in crime are due to the development of technology. This is most obvious in the vehicle theft category and may also explain some of the reduction in burglary. Overall, robbery has declined in most states since 1978 and the crimes of larceny have also seen some reductions. The most important decline in crime is that there have been fewer murders, this may be in part due to the population getting older. While murder has declined we appear to be assaulting each other as much as ever. In 2012 the States where criminals are least likely to be jailed or to spend time in jail are Massachusetts, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Minnesota, and then Maine. In 2012 New Mexico's crime rate was the 3rd highest, Massachusetts the 24th, Rhode Island the 37th, Washington the 22nd, Minnesota the 42nd, and Maine the 50th. The idea that punishment alone is a deterrent to crime does not stand up to the criminal justice records of Maine and Minnesota. In 2012 the States with the highest rates of punishment of crime are Mississippi, Idaho, Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Mississippi was ranked 32nd in crime rate, Idaho 48th, Virginia 47th, Kentucky 43rd, and Louisiana was ranked 7th in crime rate. Punishment appears to be an attribute of the low crime rates in Idaho, Virginia, and Kentucky. The States with the highest rates of imprisoned people in 2012 were Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas. In 2012, Louisiana had the 7th highest crime rate, Mississippi the 32nd, Alabama the 11th, Oklahoma the 10th, and Texas the 15th. Imprisonment alone does not appear to be a deterrent to crime. The States with the highest crime rates in 2012 were Tennessee, South Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Delaware. These states rank high due to wieght the new crime index gives to violent crime, especially to aggravated assault, the violent crime people are most likely to be subject. In terms of index to inmates Tennessee ranks 44th highest, South Carolina, 36th, New Mexico 49th, Nevada 30th, and Delaware 32nd. The States with the lowest crime rates in 2012 were Maine, Vermont, Idaho, New Hampshire, and Wyoming. Maine is 45th in crimes to inmates, Vermont 24th, Idaho 2nd, New Hampshire 34th, and Wyoming is 6th in crimes to inmates. It makes sence that the State with the lowest crime rate Maine also has the lowest rate of people imprisoned, but what sets Maine apart is that people who commit crimes in Maine are among the least likely to be imprisioned or to serve a long time for crimes committed. What does Maine do right that the other States don't? |