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America’s incarceration rate is in decline

(www.theatlantic.com)
254 points paulpauper | 7 comments | 25 Jun 25 17:14 UTC | HN request time: 1.171s | source | bottom
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strict9 ◴[25 Jun 25 17:54 UTC] No.44380047[source]▶
>Rapidly declining numbers of youth are committing crimes, getting arrested, and being incarcerated. This matters because young offenders are the raw material that feeds the prison system: As one generation ages out, another takes its place on the same horrid journey.

Another factor which will soon impact this, if it isn't already, is the rapidly changing nature of youth. Fertility rates have been dropping since 2009 or so. Average age of parents is increasing. Teen pregnancy on a long and rapid decline.

All of these working together means that each year the act of having a child is much more deliberate and the parents likely having more resources. Which in turn should mean fewer youth delinquency, which as the article notes is how most in prison started out.

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bluGill ◴[25 Jun 25 18:32 UTC] No.44380473[source]▶
> the act of having a child is much more deliberate and the parents likely having more resources

This is both good and bad. Having a child is very difficult, but it gets harder as you get older. You lack a lot of monitory resources as a teen or the early 20s, but you have a lot more energy, as you get older your body starts decaying you will lack energy. A kid had at 40 will still be depending on your when you are 55 (kids is only 15), and if the kids goes to college may have some dependency on you when your peers are retiring. Plus if your kids have kids young as well as you, you be around and have some energy for grandkids.

Don't read the above as advocating having kids too young, it is not. However don't wait until you think it is the perfect time. If you are 25 you should be seriously thinking in the next 2 years, and by 30 have them (if of course kids are right for you - that is a complex consideration I'm not going to get into). Do not let fear of how much it will cost or desire for more resources first stop you from having kids when you are still young enough to do well.

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1. mrweasel ◴[26 Jun 25 07:01 UTC] No.44384919[source]▶
> Don't read the above as advocating having kids too young, it is not.

Depending on the circumstances in a persons country, maybe getting children at a young age isn't that dumb. I'd argue that the best time to get kids is as a university student. You get free daycare, the government doubles your stipend (and it's extended), your housing subsidy increases, you generally have more free time as a student, grandparents are younger and able to help more and you have more energy and can more easily deal with lose of sleep.

As a bonus, when your kids move out, you're not even 40 year olds.

The only real issue is: Have you meet the right partner yet?

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2. arkey ◴[26 Jun 25 07:15 UTC] No.44384989[source]▶
> I'd argue that the best time to get kids is as a university student. You get free daycare, the government doubles your stipend (and it's extended), your housing subsidy increases, you generally have more free time as a student...

Where... where do you live? I'm all for having kids as soon as possible, but I was barely able to provide for just myself during university.

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3. mrweasel ◴[26 Jun 25 07:32 UTC] No.44385084[source]▶
I'm in Denmark. You get around $1100 per month from the government as a university student, you then get around the same amount per child (not sure if a couple get half of that each). Still if you're two students, with a child, that's at least $3300 a month. That's not a lot of money, but there are also government loans you can get, and again, free daycare and subsidies for housing. It's not a get rich scheme, but it's also only meant to be temporary i.e. until you finish your studies.
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4. arkey ◴[26 Jun 25 08:16 UTC] No.44385294{3}[source]▶
That's amazing.

I'm in Spain, absolutely different landscape here. I guess your government is trying to boost both higher education and birth rates.

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5. mrweasel ◴[26 Jun 25 08:50 UTC] No.44385484{4}[source]▶
Yes and no, the government is trying to steer young people in the direction of engineering, nursing, doctors, teachers and trades (carpenter, bricklayer and so on), but it's not clear where the people are suppose to come from. Essentially Denmark is missing people in also every profession. There aren't enough people. My wife works in a field where unemployment is 12, not percent, but 12 people. So if you're unemployed, qualified to work in the EU and have a recognized education, applying for jobs in Denmark isn't a bad bet.

Various governments have also attempted to boost birth rates, but unsuccessfully.

6. tuna74 ◴[26 Jun 25 15:09 UTC] No.44388174{3}[source]▶
According to Google the the amount you get per child per month in Denmark is 1450-881 DKK (227-138 USD) depending on the age of the child.
7. jimbokun ◴[26 Jun 25 19:43 UTC] No.44390603{3}[source]▶
Stupid sexy socialism.