What is the central point of the passage?
A. Rates of incarceration are higher in the United States due to high rates of drug abuse and ongoing issues with poverty.
B. Research has shown that punishing criminals does little to halt crime rates and instead encourages more offenses.
C. Criminal justice in the United States is managed by a cooperative effort between the police and the court system.
D. The different elements of the criminal justice system cooperate to protect both individual citizens and society at large.