Through its reach and impact, the prison-industrial complex helps and maintains the authority of people who get their power through problematic means. There ar

Through its reach and impact, the prison-industrial complex helps and maintains the authority of people who get their power through problematic means. There are many ways this power is collected and maintained through the prison-industrial complex, including creating mass media images that keep alive stereotypes of people of color, poor people, queer people, immigrants, youth, and other oppressed communities as criminal, delinquent, or deviant. This power is also maintained by earning profits for private companies that deal with prisons and police forces; helping earn political gains for “tough on crime” politicians; increasing the influence of prison guard and police unions; and eliminating social and political dissent by oppressed communities that make demands for self-determination in the US.