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Daniel Akst

Daniel Akst - Dan Akst is a journalist, essayist and novelist who wrote three books. His novel, The Webster Chronicle, is based on the lives of Cotton and Increase Mather. More

Dan Akst is a journalist, novelist and essayist whose work has appeared frequently in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Wilson Quarterly, and many other publications.

An Arresting Development

By Daniel Akst
Nov 11 2009, 1:20 PM ET Comment

From today's Wall Street Journal:


In 1967, 50% of American men had been arrested. Since then, arrests made in connection with domestic violence and illegal drugs have pushed the number to 60%, estimates Alfred Blumstein, a criminologist at Carnegie Mellon University. The annual number of arrests for possession of marijuana more than tripled to 1.8 million from 1980 to 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

These numbers are remarkable. Having never been arrested, I will confess to feeling a little left out. 

Also, look at the increase in marijuana arrests. Nearly two million annually! What a ridiculous waste of resources, and what a needless infringement on individual rights. 


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