The percentage of the population imprisoned or under some sort of parole has increased a lot in the last 30 years, either the police and the system they are part of has worsened, or the population has.
The statistics back you up. Violent crime in the USA is about what it was in early 70s, far below it's peak in the late 80s/early 90s. [Most of the decline seems to be linked to legalized abortion and elimination of leaded gasoline.]