Submission statement: This is relevant to development politics
Why does Africa stay poor? In my new article I explore crime as a potential kneecap on Africa’s economic growth and the continent’s low imprisonment rates as one of the reasons.
I compare Rwanda which in 1994 imprisoned 1.5% of it’s population for genocide despite being one of the poorest counties on the planet and today is probably the safest country in Sub-Saharan Africa with Nigeria which only imprisons 0.03% of it’s population and is grappling with multiple crime waves.
I also try to explain how persistent crime wrecks economy and destroys incentives for working harder and getting richer.
WantDebianThanks on
Another problem in the undeveloped/developing world that the developed world could probably help fix with Ye Olde “we’ll give you money if you meet metrics for success”.
But God fucking forbid we help poor black people 🙄
LuisRobertDylan on
>Even today Rwanda has 637 people in prisons per 100k, third highest in the world and the highest in Africa.
Also, your examples seem to contradict your thesis. Rwanda has a low crime rate, Nigeria has a high crime rate. Nigeria is much wealthier than Rwanda, and its economy is still growing quickly
3 Comments
Submission statement: This is relevant to development politics
Why does Africa stay poor? In my new article I explore crime as a potential kneecap on Africa’s economic growth and the continent’s low imprisonment rates as one of the reasons.
I compare Rwanda which in 1994 imprisoned 1.5% of it’s population for genocide despite being one of the poorest counties on the planet and today is probably the safest country in Sub-Saharan Africa with Nigeria which only imprisons 0.03% of it’s population and is grappling with multiple crime waves.
I also try to explain how persistent crime wrecks economy and destroys incentives for working harder and getting richer.
Another problem in the undeveloped/developing world that the developed world could probably help fix with Ye Olde “we’ll give you money if you meet metrics for success”.
But God fucking forbid we help poor black people 🙄
>Even today Rwanda has 637 people in prisons per 100k, third highest in the world and the highest in Africa.
This is because Kagame is a dictator and imprisons his opposition. The Rwandan regime also rounds up and imprisons homeless people, sex workers, street vendors, and street children: [https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/01/27/as-long-as-we-live-on-the-streets-they-will-beat-us/rwandas-abusive-detention-of](https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/01/27/as-long-as-we-live-on-the-streets-they-will-beat-us/rwandas-abusive-detention-of)
Also, your examples seem to contradict your thesis. Rwanda has a low crime rate, Nigeria has a high crime rate. Nigeria is much wealthier than Rwanda, and its economy is still growing quickly