I get the human factors (i.e. the jail was big).

>>The constant comparisons to a prison reflect the theoretical reality of leaving the country accurately, but poorly reflect the psychological perception of the issue by most citizens.

Of course, with information control from the cradle...

>>Vanishingly few Americans have ever traveled outside the country, and a non-trivial number have never left their state or been beyond a neighbouring one.

I thought Soviet didn't allow people to move to the place they wanted? Or was that just the big cities?

But sure, people traveled in the military service...? :-)