[Walt.]

"...But would you want your taxes to rise to pay for new prisons. Probably not.."

Never EVER use that as a reason not to imprison criminals. When the U.S. somehow feels the need to come up with several billion dollars to help "resettle" illegal immigrants... or a few billion to prop up some country (and then have that money disappear)... the taxpayer's money suddenly appears.
Nobody seems to mind the massive waste and fraud in government. The money only becomes an issue when it's spent on something you don't want.
Too many prisoners? Does that mean that if the incarceration rate in Somalia is lower they have less crime?