Rise in Arrests and the Ban the Box Movement

The crime wave of the 1990’s led to a crackdown sometimes called “broken windows” — featuring increased arrests, often for minor infractions, sometimes for no real infractions at all. The result: almost one third of all Americans, 77 million people, have been arrested. This week, the Wall Street Journal published an article headlined, “As Arrest Records Rise, Americans Find Consequences Can Cost a Lifetime.” John Emshwiller was a co-author.