Is there a link between problems with foster care in this country and incarceration?

Recently a group of reform minded people were granted a meeting with the head of the Michigan Department of Corrections.

During this meeting a very important fact came out which I was never aware of and probably most people in this country are not aware of this important fact:

Over 80% of the people locked up in local, state and federal prisons come out of foster homes.

This has apparently been well known by politicians and bureaucrats for a very long period of time.

Common sense would seem to dictate that the foster care system in this country should have come under very close public scrutiny since so much money--- public and private--- is spent on foster care.

I am sure there are some very good foster families because I know some; I also know some who just do foster care for the money.

Much of this foster care is related to the churches and given all the corruption, unethical and criminal behavior of so much of the clergy it would only be logical to conclude many people are in jails and prisons because of the failures of the foster care system in this country.

is there or isn't there a direct correlation between foster care and people being imprisoned?

Seeing as how the government has failed to investigate this I think we have to consider that there is a direct link between foster care and the high rate of incarceration in this country.

I would also note that many of these priests being found guilty of molesting young children have been deeply involved with foster care programs.

I am sure there will be some people who come forward telling me that I have no right to draw these kinds of conclusions based on the fact that 80% of the people incarcerated have been in foster care; however, I ask:

Why has the government failed to investigate this connection?

What will politicians in Michigan now do with this information?

And why aren't the reformers like activist Angela Davis who are so concerned about the prison-industrial complex bringing forward this fact?