The table below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries between 1930 and 1980.

Write a report for a university, lecturer describing the information shown below. You should write at least 150 words.

model answer: The table shows that the figures for imprisonment in the five countries mentioned indicate no overall pattern of increase or decrease. In fact there is considerable fluctuation from country to country. In Great Britain the numbers in prison have increased steadily from 0 000 in 1! 0 to "0#000 in 1!"0. $n the other hand in %ustralia# and particularly in &ew 'ealand the numbers fell mar(edly from 1! 0 to 1!)0. *ince then they have increased gradually# apart from in 1!"0 when the numbers in prison in &ew 'ealand fell by about 0#000 from the 1!+0 total. ,anada is the only country in which the numbers in prison have decreased over the period 1! 0 to 1!"0# although there have been fluctuations in this trend. The figures for the -nited *tates indicate the greatest number of prisoners compared to the other four countries but population si.e needs to be ta(en into account in this analysis. The prison population in the -nited *tates increased rapidly from 1!+0 to 1!"0 and this must be a worrying trend.