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I broadly agree with you but I think you're ascribing too much coherent judicial intention to the way we treat prisoners. Sure, people are sent there as punishm
by caconym_ 6y ago
I broadly agree with you but I think you're ascribing too much coherent judicial intention to the way we treat prisoners. Sure, people are sent there as punishment, but it seems more like the way they're treated once they get there is mostly down to profit motive on the part of big prison-industrial players who outright run some prisons and provide services to most (all?) others, and individual depravity on the part of the bullies and sadists who are drawn to working in the industry.
Just the fact that I can reasonably call it an "industry" should be setting off major alarm bells. Our prison system is one of the most terrifying and evil things that exist in the real world.
- tyingq 6y agoThat's definitely part of it. The way they suck the prisoner's families dry is particularly shitty, for things like phone calls, letters (jPay), commissary, charges to see the doctor (yes, really), and so on.
- dfxm12 6y agoUnfortunately, a judge may get a kickback from a for profit prison: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2020-06-23/kids-for-cash-judge-released-from-prison-over-virus-concerns#:~:text=BALSAMO%2C%20Associated%20Press-,A%20former%20Pennsylvania%20judge%20involved%20in%20a%20scheme%20to%20send,matter%20told%20The%20Associated%20Press https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2020-06-23/kids-for-.... It doesn't stop there. For profit prisons spend millions of dollars lobbying: https://www.opensecrets.org/industries./indus.php?ind=G7000 https://www.opensecrets.org/industries./indus.php?ind=G7000 If you want to see intent, follow the money.
- hertzrat 6y agoThe USA would be a different country if it finally got around to banning bribery
- tyingq 6y agoI agree, though sometimes it's not actually bribery. If a company, for example, offers inmate telecom services to a prison, and offers to do it at "no cost at all to the state" or "revenue share", it sounds attractive. Of course, that means "exorbitant costs to the prisoner's families".
- tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago"Revenue share" makes the bribery apparent. This is one of the things that needs regulation, because there will be a monopoly.
- kortilla 6y agoRevenue share isn’t bribery because the revenue isn’t shared with the judge. It’s a cost structure to make the municipality or whatever avoid having to outlay money to build something. Similar to some joint public/private toll roads, red light cameras, etc.
- chordalkeyboard 6y agoIt is banned, thats why they use the workarounds. Prohibition frequently doesn’t eliminate.
- azekai 6y agoIf you can de-incentivize a behavior, you can prevent it. But just 'banning bribery' has already been done. Banning any and all perverse incentives from the justice system is actually very difficult to the point of near-impossibility. Hence the current system.
- SamBam 6y agoExcept that when we hear of a for-profit nursing home abusing its residents, we are shocked, and set up an inquiry, and pass some laws about how people need to be treated. When we hear about how prisoners are treated -- actually we hardly ever hear about how prisoners are treated, because most people don't care that much. The way society is ok with the treatment of prisoners is the root cause of the way they are treated. Plenty of for-profit enterprises exist that aren't allowed to abuse those they have power over.
- AniseAbyss 6y agoThe cheapest prison is one run by the prisoners themselves. Just post guards on the walls.