ElliottGoldstein

ENG5Melton

TheInjusticeofthePrisonIndustrialComplex

Asearlyaswecanremembertherehavebeenformsofdetainmentforthose
whoactoutinsocietywiththeriseofsocializationcamethebeginningsofprisons.
Prisonshavetransformedoverthecenturiesonamassscaleintoanentireindustry.
(Mahmood,32)Thousandsofpeoplegotojaileveryyearandstayforavarietyof
differenttimelengths.Becausetheprisonersarenotletoutatthesameratetheyare
takenin,prisonshaveneededtoexpandtofittheneedsofsociety.Thereareabout
fivethousandoperatingprisonsintheunitedstatesalone,notincludingcountyjailsof
coursewhichcouldaddontothatnumberatleasteighthundredthousandmore
facilities.
Thedifferencebetweenajailandaprisonisthelengthofstaythosewhoarein
foralongperiodoftimegotoprison,butforminoroffenderswithlittletimetopay,ajail
wouldbetheirplaceofhousingtofinishtheirsentence.Thesearetwoofthesame
facilities,yetoneismuchmoreviolentthantheother.Onecanassumethisonaccount
ofthecorrelationbetweenhowviolent/disturbingthecrimewasandtheamountoftime
spentinprison(basicallythelengthofthesentencewilldependontheseverityofthe
crime).Inordertoleaveprison,theprisonerswillcomeupforaparoleafterserving
mostoftheirsentencedtime.Theprisonersthengoinfrontofapanelofpeopleknown
astheparoleboard,andarejudgedontheirhonestythattheyhavelearnedtheirlesson
andarereadytobeaworking,lawabidingcitizenofsociety.Thisisasolidsystem,
howeverinourcapitalisticsociety,bigbusinesshasfounditswaytoruinwhatshould

befairandeasy.Theyhavealsomanagedtodothisquietlyunderneaththepublics
attention.
ManypeopleintheUnitedStatesareunawarethatmorallyinnocentcitizenswho
havebrokenminorlawsarebeingdetainedandusedforprofit.Byresearchingthe
prisonindustrialcomplex,Ihavefoundmultipleaccountsofirresponsible,corrupt
corporationsthathavebeenmakingmillionsofdollarsthroughprivatizingstateand
federalprisons.Studiesshowthatourprisonshavemoreprisonersperpenitentiary
thananyothercountryintheworld,yetweareandhaveneverbeenanywherenearthe
mostviolentcountryintheworld.Somesaythiscorrelationofmoderatecrimeandhigh
incarcerationisduetotheUSprisonsystemattemptingtomaintainthepublicssafety
(keepingconvictsinjail),buttheresearchwillshowthatthemotivationbehindthisvast
imprisonmentispurelyforprofit.
AccordingtoNileBowiecolumnist,
Combiningthenumberofpeopleinprison
andjailwiththoseunderparoleorprobationsupervision,1inevery31adults,or3.2
percentofthepopulationisundersomeformofcorrectionalcontrol.(Nile,2).
Accordingtothisquote,ifyouand31adultsareinaroomsomeonealreadyhasbeen
to,orisgoingtoprisonintheirlifetime.Now,ifyouaskme,standinginaroomfullof31
peopleIknowdoesnotmeanthatoneoutofthose31isamurdererorarapist,etc.So,
inwhatotherwayswouldoneofthese31nonviolentcitizensgotojail?Theanswerto
thisquestionneedsalookintoracism,drugs,homelessness,andcorruption.Tobe
brief,thebackboneofthesefourdifferentpartsofthecomplexisprofit.Hereishow
profitscomeintoplay.

Onceuponatimetherewerestateandfederalprisonsfundedbythetaxpayers.
Thesefundsareusedtoimprisonlawbreakersinthemosthumanewaypossible.The
turnoverratewasaveragefortheprisonswhohadmorethanenoughmoneytohouse
everyinmateinajustifiedandpropermanner,keepfacilitiescleanlyandfunctional,and
paytheprisonguardssalaryandbenefits.Asmoreandmorepeoplewerebeing
incarcerated,spacebegantobelimited.Then,somepeoplegotwise.Thesepeople
builtandopenedtheirownprison,usingitforillegalimmigrantsthatthestatesand
federalprisonshadnoroomfor.TheycalledtheircorporationtheCCA(Corrections
Specifically,ThomasWBeasley(ExChairmanoftheTennesseeRepublicanParty),
RobertCrants(chieffinancialofficerofRealEstateinNashville,andafewotherwealthy
investorsincludinganexchairmanoftheUnitedStatesBoardofParole,acofounderof
theHospitalCorporationofAmerica,andahandfulofpowerfulothers.Thesemenbuilt
andopenedtheirownprison,usingitforillegalimmigrantsthatthestatesandfederal
prisonshadnoroomfor.TheycalledtheircorporationtheCCA(Corrections
CorporationofAmerica)andarenowthebiggestprivatelyownedchainofprisonsin
existence.TheCCAputinworktobringtheirbusinesstothetopoftheprisonsystem.

IntheUnitedStatesofAmericatherearecompaniesthatprofitifyougo
tojail.Theywantyoutogotojail.Thesebusinessspentover$45millionin
lobbyingtomakesurewhenyougetsenttojail,yougototheirjails.Theyareso
goodatthisthattherewasa37%increaseofprivateprisonersbetween
20022009.Theyarecurrentlyoutpacingstateandfederallyfundedprisons.
(Hodges,1)

Theseprisonsarebeingpaidbythestate(taxpayers)intermsofoccupancy,the
moreprisoners,themoreprofit.Yetthisisonlyapartialofthemoneythiscompanyor
companieslikethiswillbringin.
Justprofitaloneisnottheonlythingwrongwiththeprisonsystem.Thejustice
systemisbrokenaswell.Throughlobbyingjudges,police,andstatesenators,the
privateprisoncorporationshaveinfluencedlawenforcementtocomedownhardon
minordrugoffenses,minortickets,andotherminoroffensesincriminatingnonviolent
people.Thesepeopleareendingupintheprisonsystemwhenmostshouldnthave
beenincarceratedinthefirstplace.Theyareintheprisonsystemsolongthatprisonis
alltheyknow.Whentheygetoutafterbeinginstitutionalized,theyoftengetthemselves
backinbecauseofthelimitationsontheirlifefromtheirrecord.Thisisallpartofthe
cyclethatfeedstheprivateprisoncorporationsmillionsofdollarsayearatourexpense.