Both China and the US have repressive governments, and residents of each claim the other is worse (believe it or not). China has more restrictive laws and seems to suppress individual dissent more widely. However, when the true measure of freedom, the incarceration rate, is considered, the US is a miserable failure.
Of course, the US's high crime rate is part of the equation, but even if that is factored out, the US still has the higher rate of interaction. Some loyal Americans will argue US prisoners are more-justifiably incinerated. But a quick look at the number of death-row convicts who have been exonerated by new DNA evidence shows that even careful trials are weighted against the defendant. This is particularly true for a poor defendant.
And "poor" does not refer to a small element of the population. The cost of a good attorney is about as much as the cost of a new car. Most people can't afford one, and are stuck accepting a court-appointed attorney, who is almost useless.