Thoughts on Graphs

This is my first attempt at this kind of analysis, so bear with me if my data is incomplete or my conclusions misleading.

After looking at these two graphs, the first related to incidents of violent crime in the US and the second detailing rates of incarceration, you could come to a couple of conclusions. One is that America is putting record numbers of people in prison over a 20-year period during a time when violent crime has decreased dramatically, meaning the majority of that red bulge is non-violent offenders. Conversely, you could assume that our higher rates of incarceration are helping to keep all of the violent criminals off of the streets, leading to an all-around decrease in violent crime.

Personally, I'm led to believe in the former, particularly due to the more-or-less steady rate of arrests for violent crimes, displayed in the first graph's purple line. Correlation does not equal causation though, and these opposing figures don't even begin to scratch the surface of the elaborate tapestry of shit that is our great American prison system. Just a little food for thought, if you will.