[From the JURIST ] US prisons currently house the world's largest inmate population, according to a Wednesday New York Times report citing data provided by the International Center for Prison Studies [organization website]. The US currently holds 2.3 million inmates, far more than second-in-line China , which holds only 1.6 million inmates even though its population is four times that of the US. On a per capita scale, the US also leads worldwide inmate populations, with 751 people imprisoned for every 100,000 in population, compared with 627 inmates for every 100,000 people in Russia , 151 for every 100,000 in England , and 88 for every 100,000 in Germany . The report attributes the high inmate numbers to several factors, including the prevalence of prison sentences for nonviolent crimes, rigorous anti-drug campaigns, and the ready availability of guns.

In February, a report [PDF report ] by the Pew Center on the States (PCS) [organization website] found that one in every 100 US adults is currently in prison. [MORE]