<P> Sacco described how "competing news organizations responded to each other's coverage (while) the police, in their role as gatekeepers of crime news, reacted to the increased media interest by making available more stories that reflected and reinforced" a particular theme . "(T) he dynamics of competitive journalism created a media feeding frenzy that found news workers' snatching at shocking numbers' and' smothering reports of stable or decreasing use under more ominous headlines ."' </P> <P> The reasons cited above for increased incarcerations (US racial demographics, Increased sentencing laws, and Drug sentencing laws) have been described as consequences of the shift in editorial policies of the mainstream media . </P> <P> Additionally, media coverage has been proven to have a profound impact on criminal sentencing . A study conducted found that the more media attention a criminal case is given, the greater the incentive for prosecutors and judges to pursue harsher sentences . This is directly linked to the enormous increase in media coverage of crime over the past two decades . While crime decreased by 8% between 1992 and 2002, news reports on crime increased by 800% and the average prison sentence length increased by 2,000% for all crimes . Less media coverage means a greater chance of a lighter sentence or that the defendant may avoid prison time entirely . </P> <P> According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 77.6% of Federal inmates are U.S. citizens (as of April 2016). 15.2% are citizens of Mexico, and the next three countries--Colombia, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, contribute less than 1% each . 4.9% have other or unknown citizenship . The Bureau did not state how many had come to the U.S. legally . </P>

What region within he united states has the highest incarceration rate by population