A group of dedicated researchers have traced the rise and fall of prisons and countries–and graphed it all.  Their findings will inform you, and perhaps motivate you to get up and shout to your legislators that enough is enough!  For instance, in 1983, the US had 424,000 inmates.  In 2011, the US had 1,599,000 inmates.  Read this careful study, and perhaps even let the authors know you appreciate them.

http://www.criminaljusticedegreehub.com/modern-prisons-predecessors/