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Cost of prison per prisoner per year: $168,000 http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/nyregion/citys-annual-cost-per-inmate-is-nearly-168000-study-says.html htt

Cost of prison per prisoner per year: $168,000 http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/nyregion/citys-annual-cost-per-inmate-is-nearly-168000-study-says.html http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/nyregion/citys-annual-c... Average in the US: $31,000 https://www.vera.org/publications/the-price-of-prisons-what-incarceration-costs-taxpayers https://www.vera.org/publications/the-price-of-prisons-what-... This isn't about justice. It's about prison guard jobs. It's about welfare.

StanislavPetrov 10y ago
It's not just about welfare, its also about political power. For example, New York houses tens of thousands of prisoners from New York City in various upstate prison towns. The population of these prisoners is counted towards the populations of these upstate towns, even though the prisoners cannot vote and aren't from that area. For purposes of gerrymandering, funding, and anything else related to population these prisoners are literally political ammunition. This added clout puts representatives in the statehouse that exist only to flood the prisons with more prisoners, completely beholden to prison guard unions and other prison-related industries. They spend their time blocking any sort of logical criminal reform, marijuana legalization, or anything else that would slow the steady stream of prisoners. Its a corrupt system to the core. http://www.demos.org/publication/census-count-and-prisoners-problem-solutions-and-what-census-can-do http://www.demos.org/publication/census-count-and-prisoners-...
- mchannon 10y ago
  Prison gerrymandering has been reformed in a few places, particularly New York. Due to reforms passed in 2010, prisoners are now counted toward their home districts. California has likewise passed a law to discontinue the process there by 2020. For much of the rest of the country, this is still a problem. http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/newyork.html http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/newyork.html
sickbeard 10y ago
I don't see anyone opening their homes to let rapists and murderers come to live there. There is a reason why many people are in prison.
- prawn 10y ago
  If they were offered $150k+ to house and feed them, some might consider it!

StanislavPetrov 10y ago

It's not just about welfare, its also about political power. For example, New York houses tens of thousands of prisoners from New York City in various upstate prison towns. The population of these prisoners is counted towards the populations of these upstate towns, even though the prisoners cannot vote and aren't from that area. For purposes of gerrymandering, funding, and anything else related to population these prisoners are literally political ammunition. This added clout puts representatives in the statehouse that exist only to flood the prisons with more prisoners, completely beholden to prison guard unions and other prison-related industries. They spend their time blocking any sort of logical criminal reform, marijuana legalization, or anything else that would slow the steady stream of prisoners. Its a corrupt system to the core. http://www.demos.org/publication/census-count-and-prisoners-problem-solutions-and-what-census-can-do http://www.demos.org/publication/census-count-and-prisoners-...

mchannon 10y ago
Prison gerrymandering has been reformed in a few places, particularly New York. Due to reforms passed in 2010, prisoners are now counted toward their home districts. California has likewise passed a law to discontinue the process there by 2020. For much of the rest of the country, this is still a problem. http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/newyork.html http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/newyork.html

sickbeard 10y ago

I don't see anyone opening their homes to let rapists and murderers come to live there. There is a reason why many people are in prison.

prawn 10y ago
If they were offered $150k+ to house and feed them, some might consider it!