- The number of inmates in US jails jumped from 320,000 in 1980 to 2 million in 2000.
- One out of every 142 people in the US is behind bars.
- There were 13.6 million arrests in 2003.
- An average of US$7 billion a year for the past 10 years was spent building new jails and prisons. In California, only one college has been built since 1984, but 21 new prisons have been constructed.
- 5000 US law enforcement agencies use 50,000-volt Taser guns. More than 80 people have died from Taser shootings since 1999.
- At least 13% of inmates in the country are sexually assaulted in prison
- People of colour account for more than 70% of inmates in US prisons.
[Source: China's Human Rights Record of the US in 2004. Got a shockfact? Email <glw@greenleft.org.au>.]