Incarceration and U.S. crime rates

In response to Anthony Marcisofsky’s Wednesday letter (“More bad guys in jail, less crime”) regarding an RJ editorial supporting criminal justice reform:

America’s incarceration rate is 700 out of 100,000 people. Canada’s is 100 out of 100,000. For most of the 20th century, both countries had the same incarceration rate. Both countries had spikes in crime over the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s that eventually went back down. Canada did nothing different. America starting locking up more people for longer periods.

America’s crime rate peaked in 1991 and started falling in 1992. Miley Cyrus was born in 1992. Therefore, Ms. Cyrus’ birth caused the U.S. crime rate to drop. Mr. Marcisofsky should remember that correlation does not always equal causation.