On par with that of other liberal democracies. However, in the last 40 years weve seen a 7 increase in incarceration here in the land of the free. We now have by far the highest incarceration rate per capita of anywhere in the world other than maybe north korea but theres not enough data coming out to know for sure. So what is to blame for america being number one at locking up its own citizens . Many theories exist and that well be hearing about them from expert in the field, john pfaff has seen, its been 15 your studying data on imprisonment and if you to discuss his book which seeks to debunk some of the more popular theories while providing his own take on this national catastrophe. He is professor of law at Fordham University with a focus in criminal law, since the law and law of economics. He has been published in the journal of criminal law and criminology, american law and economics review, and federal sentencing reporter among others. He was richly written up in Rolling Stone