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posted on:
5/10/2012 11:09:12 PM EST
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The Prison Industrial Complex
prisons, jails, incarceration, United States prisons,
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It seems that eveywhere I look, in the newspaper, on the internet and on television, there's someone violating a law and going to jail. From what I see, this is out of control. The United States has incarcerated more of its citizens than any country in history. And the sad thing about it, no one really cares. A grand total of 2.2 million people are in jail in America today. Only 300,000 were incarcerated in the 1970's. It costs us billions of dollars to house these convicted felons, who will according to our laws be convicted felons for the rest of their lives, even after they have paid their debt to society. I have just begun mentoring a young man who was in the prescence of a large amount of drugs, and probably did not intend to be involve with its sale or distribution, but was arrested and sent to jail. He was lucky because the judge knew him and did not sentence him to a long sentence. This young man spent only 30 days in jail and 3 years on probation. But this felony will follow him the rest of his life. He is a college grad and came from a family that has been devastased by prisons. His father is in prison now.
These men and women can't vote, serve on a jury, be in possession of a firearm and must check that dreaded box on the employed application that asks if they have been convicted of a felonly. This usually has their application ending up in file "13", the trash. The Clinton Administration passed laws that will not allow convicted felons to live with relatives who are living in Federally subsidized housing. So, what is a convicted felon to do? Usually they go back to the illegal activity that got them arrested intially and go back to prison. The so called prison industrial complex perpetuates itself.
Most of these incarcerated persons are either brown or black. African Americans make up 900,000 of these 2.2 million prisoners, but make up only 12 % of the general American population. At current rates 1 out of 3 African American males can expect to spend time in prison during their lifetimes. Hispanics suffer almost as much. One in six Hispanic males born today can expect to spend time in prison during their lifetimes. Statistics show that blacks and browns make up less than 30% of the population, but are upwards of 70% of those incarcerated. These numbers continue to increase and costs are astronomical.
What do we do? First we must let the world know what is happening. All of us see this, but have become so desensitized by the news and media, that it does not really bother us anymore. All of us are in our own little world and don't want to be bothered. But this is affecting every aspect of our lives. I was called to jury duty last month and I live in a county with over 50% minority population. But the jury pool I was in did not have more than 20% minority representation. Why? The majority of the minority population of the county has been disqualified. There are many other effects of this phenomena. But we must all wake up. American will continue to decline as we build more prisons. It is a sad commentary when our society is laying off teachers, closing schools, laying off firemen and policemen, but making plans to build a multi-million dollar prison facilities. Our priorities are in the wrong place. Wake up America!! Our people are our greatest resource. Don't just throw them away! Let's save all we can.
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 | | You forgot to mention the people that are serving time and are innocent. No one should be put in prison if they did not commit a crime, but I was told by a member of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that people get arrested all the time and I asked if it mattered if they were guilty or not and there was no answer to that question. The system perpetuates the pressures that cause a lot of problems. Thanks for letting me know that someone else has awakened. Lets keep on notifying the rest. |
| | |  | | Gotta stop the bleeding , I found that it take the 3 g's to make make things happening
All Men need God,a garden of harvest and good people to make it. We can't be at the game with no program.... |
| | |  | | It's a shame that this system would rather spend multi million dollars on building prisons rather than educating our young men so that they can get good paying jobs and stay away from prison...I share your pain as well.... |
| | |  | | The saddest fact is that it doesn't have to be this way - so many of those faces, minds and hearts, containing solutions, passions and contributions to this world.... and they are never unleashed. It is truly a lose-lose situation. |
| | |  | | Jesse,i share your pain bro,there s gotta be a way..someones gotta see the light?
just like Martin Luther King yeah!thanks for sharing,i like this. |
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