Non violent drug crimes are BS. Lots of ways to plant evidence, flip witnesses. Pretty hard to turn your life around with a record. Prison is not the cure for drug abuse. Physical and psychological abuse only makes these problems worse. Harm reduction is the best approach unless you personally gain by feeding off the prison system, legal system etc.
US has highest per capital incarceration rate in the world.
The violent crime rate among Norwegian-Americans is lower than the violent crime rate in Norway. I wouldn't be surprised if the incarceration rate among Norwegian-Americans was lower than the incarceration rate in Norway.