An absolutely terrifying glimpse at the future of America.

[brizee]

The prison industry needs choked in it's crib.

This cannot be allowed to happen.

If that first paragraph doesn't chill you to the bone you might wanna check your pulse.

[GOAT]

A 90% occupation rate? REally? Doesn't the USa have the largest prison population in the world already?

How about decriminalizing marijuana for starters? It would save a lot of families grief and states a lot of money. But hey! It's the pure capitalist way. No hybrid system need apply in the 'ol USA.

[SMRJim]

Truly disgusting. This won't just call for harsher sentence, but for more reasons to put people in jail. I can just see what will happen to the drunk driving laws if this happens. 20 to life for having a .06 maybe?

[jpbollma]

Truly disgusting. This won't just call for harsher sentence, but for more reasons to put people in jail. I can just see what will happen to the drunk driving laws if this happens. 20 to life for having a .06 maybe?

Horrifying. From Left to Right who could be for this? It's fascism.

[gazhekwe]

A good example of the trouble of privatizing government programs. When profit drives the outcomes, what good can come of this?

[jtf1972]

Gotta love that they purchased a prison, then receive a monthy fee from the state that in 20 years will excede the purchase price.

Wait til a group of prisoners sue the private companies & win something like $200m

[jpbollma]

I have to comment here again because this is just too important, especially for the poor and minorities who are incarcerated at a higher rate than whites. This is a shame. It is evil. The USA makes up 5% of the world population and 25% of the world's prisoners. Just think of that for a moment. Also, if you still may think you support this..read this story..it's an example of fascism in the justice system.

Kids For Cash
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice...teering-scheme

[brizee]

New Yorkers are already subsidizing the torture of mentally challenged children.


Hollywood in it's wildest dreams couldn't concoct some shit this scary.

[Shollin]

I have to comment here again because this is just too important, especially for the poor and minorities who are incarcerated at a higher rate than whites. This is a shame. It is evil. The USA makes up 5% of the world population and 25% of the world's prisoners. Just think of that for a moment. Also, if you still may think you support this..read this story..it's an example of fascism in the justice system.

Kids For Cash
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice...teering-scheme

Yea, and the US commits a lot of the World's crime. The city of Chicago has as many murders as the entire country of Canada. Perhaps Americans should stop commiting crimes

[jpbollma]

well, perhaps the USA should support our children and population in the way Canada does and we wouldn't have that crime. If we are truly the greatest country on earth, why do people feel so disillusioned here and are more prone to crime than Canadians or Europeans or Australians? For that matter more than many Central American nations as well. we have a real problem here at home that we need to deal with.

[jpbollma]

The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -Franklin Roosevelt

[Jimaz]

The prison industry needs choked in it's crib.

This cannot be allowed to happen.

If that first paragraph doesn't chill you to the bone you might wanna check your pulse.

The first paragraph:

At a time when states are struggling to reduce bloated prison populations and tight budgets, a private prison management company is offering to buy prisons in exchange for various considerations, including a controversial guarantee that the governments maintain a 90% occupancy rate for at least 20 years.

The question conspicuously absent is "Is that 90% regardless of whether or not enough people will be convicted over the period to fulfill that guarantee?"

Why on earth would they omit that question?

This stinks of another Shock Doctrine attack.

[jpbollma]

Jimaz, maybe I am not understanding you questioning. The way I read it, the company wants assurance that 90% of cells will be filled. There was no caveat.

[Shollin]

well, perhaps the USA should support our children and population in the way Canada does and we wouldn't have that crime. If we are truly the greatest country on earth, why do people feel so disillusioned here and are more prone to crime than Canadians or Europeans or Australians? For that matter more than many Central American nations as well. we have a real problem here at home that we need to deal with.

Our politicians tell us the socialism in Canada is evil.

[jpbollma]

Well I for one don't buy into the socialism/capitalism argument. Take what works and use it. Why not have "all of the above"? No one is right or wrong all of the time..

[canuck]

Well I for one don't buy into the socialism/capitalism argument. Take what works and use it. Why not have "all of the above"? No one is right or wrong all of the time..

You are so right about that.
It's pretty obvious that even in the United States, the beacon of capitalist economies; the governmental bureaucracy is overwhelming. Many great fortunes came about because of their ties with government and this has actually increased with time. In Canada, where socialism is more prevalent than in the US, media concentration and other powerful capitalist forces are at play to pull these social policies out as much as possible. There is more talk of private medical care than ever, many people pay for medical services on top of their contributions to the socialized net.

The same 1% of the population owns the country's big business and resources in Canada, the stakes are quite similar.

[Jimaz]

Jimaz, maybe I am not understanding you questioning. The way I read it, the company wants assurance that 90% of cells will be filled. There was no caveat.

Allow me to restate: Do they really want that 90% clause to be fulfilled even if it requires incarcerating innocent people?

[jpbollma]

Allow me to restate: Do they really want that 90% clause to be fulfilled even if it requires incarcerating innocent people?

From what I have read if there is not a 90% filled rate, the government has to pay to make up the difference, so we know how they would work that out. They would pass new laws that are harsher.

[Jimaz]

From what I have read if there is not a 90% filled rate, the government has to pay to make up the difference, so we know how they would work that out. They would pass new laws that are harsher.

Okay, I think I see where you're coming from. I think you'd agree that this would be an injustice — or many injustices.

I dug this up from the archives: DetroitYES Home » Non Detroit Issues » Prison Valley, A web Documentary.

It's a revealing documentary about the for-profit prison industry.

Enjoy — or not. It's ugly shocking.

[ghettopalmetto]

Our politicians tell us the socialism in Canada is evil.

I'll take Canadian socialism over American fascism.

[Jimaz]

There are a couple of related videos by Thom Hartmann today:

• The insanity of privatizing the commons [specifically, prisons]
• Caller - Corporations don't run countries, governments do

In the second video the caller makes the point that governments tend to outlive corporations. So what happens when the corporate prison goes bankrupt? Prisons in chaos?

[Jimaz]

Spending More On Prisons Than Colleges - Report

There's a recipe for disaster.

[Big Dog]

Agreed, Jimaz.