Community | November 21, 2010 | 77 comments

The United States imprisons it's own

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VoyagerFilms
With nearly 25% of the world's inmate population, who says the United States doesn't have political prisoners?

Excerpt:
"Indeed, the United States leads the world in producing prisoners, a reflection of a relatively recent and now entirely distinctive American approach to crime and punishment. Americans are locked up for crimes — from writing bad checks to using drugs — that would rarely produce prison sentences in other countries. And in particular they are kept incarcerated far longer than prisoners in other nations."

How is this helpful to society? Why aren't Americans and politicians taking a good hard look at this issue? Coupled with an extremely dysfunctional judicial system populated largely by opportunistic prosecutors who believe they are empowered to wield the hand of God play the role of Judge, jury and executioner over people's lives, it's little wonder we incarcerate so many.

In my own experiences with the judicial system I can tell you with NO uncertainty the legal system has no interest in "truth", "right" or "wrong". The judicial system executes sloppily prosecuted people, knowing full well the inadequacies of the process. Prosecutions and executions sought and pushed forward by prosecutors who decided for themselves who was guilty, ignorant of their own weaknesses, failings, projections and externalization. Our nation shoots itself in not just the foot, but the leg and the abdomen. Our judicial system's conduct is terminal and fatal to our society.

Need we look at the actions of the Supreme Court allowing corporations the buying of judges, politicians and political favorable agendas and legislation AT the expense of the electorate?

That you believe you haven't been touched by the dysfunction of the judicial system is no excuse for ignorance or worse yet, indifference to the violations and victimization's of the judicial system on the American people. Not convinced? Just think about it. Why does the US's 5% of the world's population house nearly 25% of the worlds prisoner population and at what expense to you financially in the form of taxes? At what expense to society to loose so many of it's primarily male population? What is a country more interested in prosecuting and jailing it's people than helping them?

More interesting facts:

"Children of incarcerated parents have increased risk of anxiety, depression, aggression, truancy, attention disorders and poor scholastic performance."

I met a homeless young man who had been incarcerated for 3 days not paying a bus fee of less than $5.00.

And still more interesting facts:

"Children of incarcerated parents have increased risk of anxiety, depression, aggression, truancy, attention disorders and poor scholastic performance."

Would you rather the state and Federal Government paid for the bus fare and not incarcerated the young man or waste some $250.00 a day for his incarceration plus court costs?

Who makes decisions like this? Is it crazy or has the legal and judicial system itself become the monster? Again, is an unpaid bus fare of less than $5.00 worth blowing more than $600.00 of American tax payer money? Is this what "being tough on crime is"? That's a resounding: YES!

Did the people who conduct our legal and judicial system in this way go to college? Are they idiots? Are they intentionally trying to destroy America or are they just really really stupid?

Fact 1: Not everyone in prison is guilty. Fact 2: Not everyone accused is guilty.

Personally, I can't believe a civilized society would conduct itself so self-destructively and so oblivious to the Obvious!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/us/23prison.html
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    Community,   Humanism,   Law and Justice,   Government Reform, Transparency & Accountability
  2. tags:
    Corruption,  George Bush,  Stupidity,  Idiots,  4 more
  3. recommended by:
    Vierotchka,
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77 comments // The United States imprisons it's own

  • fun_size
    • 0
      fun_size  

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JaMBEIM0kM

      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison

      Following the rights movements
      You clamped on with your iron fists
      Drugs became conveniently
      Available for all the kids
      Following the rights movements
      You clamped on with your iron fists
      Drugs became conveniently
      Available for all the kids
      Ooh, I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
      Right here in Hollywood

      {Nearly two million Americans are incarcerated in the prison system
      Prison system of the U.S.}

      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      For you and me to live in
      Another prison system
      Another prison system
      Another prison system
      For you and me

      Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
      You don't even flinch
      All our taxes paying for your wars
      Against the new non rich
      Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
      You don't even flinch
      All our taxes paying for your wars
      Against the new non rich
      Ooh, I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
      Right here in Hollywood

      {The percentage of Americans in the prison system
      Prison system has doubled since 1985}

      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      For you and me to live in
      Another prison system
      Another prison system
      Another prison system
      For you and me
      Who for?
      Who for?
      Who for?
      You and I
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      For you and me
      Oh baby you and me

      Why?
      All research and successful drug policy shows
      That treatment should be increased
      Why?
      And law enforcement decreased
      While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences
      Why?
      All research and successful drug policy shows
      That treatment should be increased
      Why?
      And law enforcement decreased
      While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences

      Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world
      Drugs are now your global policy
      Now you police the globe
      Ooh, I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
      Right here in Hollywood

      Drug money is used to rig elections
      And train brutal corporate sponsored
      Dictators around the world

      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      For you and me to live in
      Another prison system
      Another prison system
      Another prison system
      For you and me
      Who for?
      Who for?
      Who for?
      You and I
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      They're tryin' to build a prison
      For you and me
      Oh baby you and me

    • 1 year ago
  • good_stuff
  • Tayllerand
  • killingjoke
  • VoyagerFilms
  • TomTucker
  • fun_size
  • TomTucker
  • fun_size
  • ImConcerned
  • Vierotchka
  • addie340
    • +1
      addie340  

    • I personally don't have much trust in the legal system, it is as crooked as any other government office. When I was 19 I was taken back to court for child support. My Lawyer at the time went over the child support guide line sheet and told me there was no way they could possibly raise my child support, in fact they would have to lower it by $20 dollars. I ask who the judge was going to be he told me judge Benson, I told him I didn't think judge Benson liked me much because of the time before I was in court. I requested another judge. My lawyer talked to judge Benson, and he told my lawyer that he didn't care what I was in court for in his court room I would be found guilty no matter what the case was. These are the people that are suppose to be fair and impartial. For that reason I feel the case is decided long before you go to court, by the way they raised my support by $25.00 per month. After I told my lawyer I was going to turn them all into a higher court or someone that could right the situation, he dropped all my lawyer fees

    • 1 year ago
  • iloveallofyawl
  • csmonut
    • +6
      csmonut  

    • When the war on drugs began, federal dollars poured into state coffers to fund local and state police, but only if they bowed to federal wishes, which was the togh stance on crime.
      So states began to lock up everyone, make stupid 3 strikes laws, .....and you get the picture.
      Then....federal dollars began to dry up, states were left with way too many people in prisons, and the savior comes along, private prisons!
      On average, and you can look this up, for every dollar spent on getting a person to jail, police, court costs, etc., only 4 cents is spent on actually trying to prevent crime, like in schools, etc. and also to treat people with drug habits.
      It is in the private prisons interest to keep people in jail and NOT give them treatment for drugs, violent behavior, etc. States used to offer programs for prisoners, trying for rehabilitation.
      In 1978, before private prisons really took over, recidivism rates were around 67-69%. In 2001, that rate had risen to 75% or better. Hmm.....I wonder why?

      AND.....part of the blame can be layed right onto the taxpayer. Everybody wants this and that, but no one wants to pay. Not to say many tax dollars aren't wasted, but many people just want "it all to go away" so they won't have to deal with it.

      We all need to get on our elected officials, (I know...they are pretty much bought out by large corps.) but hey, if we want to change the system, we gotta start somewhere.
      Maybe when the people get tired of writing, they'll start fighting. Hell, even the French riot when their government doesn't do what they want.

    • 1 year ago
  • VoyagerFilms
  • Sarah_Honea
    • +2
      Sarah_Honea  

    • Since the start of the Cold War we have been enjoying and ever expanding Felony classes, mandatory minimums, labyrinthine subsections to the law that only a Noam Chomsky [A linguist] could decipher on his free time. When one is not consciously aware of the limitations set upon his body visible or not. Known or not they are still there. As Americans, [unless you are in the top 2 percent] we have the choice to be Prisoners or Slaves. There is no middle ground anymore.

      From now on the Shackles are just going to get tighter and tighter till the circulation weakens you to a state were if you WANTED do something, YOU CANT.

    • 1 year ago
  • VoyagerFilms
    • 0
      VoyagerFilms  
    • Sarah_Honea:

      If you think about it, coming down from the Federal level, incarcerating liberals and non-conformist types is a way to manipulate the population, direction, voting public and political agenda of the nation.

      This is a very serious issue.

    • 1 year ago
  • Sarah_Honea
    • +1
      Sarah_Honea  
    • VoyagerFilms:

      Yes, Nixon's beloved Cabinet member called it : Taking care of the 'Problem. by not taking care of the "Problem". I wish this site allowed for Italics--- but there you are ,such as it is.

    • 1 year ago
  • Vierotchka
  • VoyagerFilms
  • weewah
    • +5
      weewah  

    • We need to find another way to punish non-violent crime. Lock-up should be reserved for those who our populace needs to be physically protected from. Get those non-violent offenders out of there so that they needn't be protected from the rest of the population by being in a cell 22 hrs a day.
      Convicts should also be farming their own supplies and self supporting. The cost of lock-up needs to be defrayed by measures like this.
      We deserately need reform

    • 1 year ago
  • artemis6
  • VoyagerFilms
    • +1
      VoyagerFilms  
    • weewah:

      Absolutely right. W need to look at the issue of marijuana from the point of view of the impact of incarceration on a person, families and society.

      Seems to me, the treatment is much worse than the crime.

    • 1 year ago
  • dariusvons
  • VoyagerFilms
    • 0
      VoyagerFilms  
    • dariusvons:

      So true. My own observations is that the judicial system and the legal system conspire not out of a conscious decision to do so, but snare and entangle Americans for selfish reasons.

    • 1 year ago
  • fun_size
    • +6
      fun_size  

    • It's a total embarassment whenever i hear Americans say "were the best country in the world". Most Americans dont know ANYTHING about the outside world apart from what they see on their propaganda news channels and what they learn in their pitifully underfunded and outdated public school systems. Its sad really that we have some of the lowest voter turnouts in the developed world. Our prisons hold more persons by percentage than any other country in the world. Our health-care system is woefully inept and wasteful, and our country's infrastructure crumbles around us. And yet, we spend more money on defense than the next 4 countries COMBINED and have the largest Navy and Air Force on the planet. We as a country live in fear and paranoia of the outside world and we sit and watch as our own state moves closer and closer to a police state with extremism becoming the norm rather than the exception.

      The war on drugs is an utter and complete failure. Whats more, the system is inherently racist with minorities making up the largest percentage of the prison population. Our very Freedoms that we hold dear are being trampled on in the name of "security" and yet we do not so much as bat an eye at it. We allow ourselves to be physically molested at the airport and we do it in order to feel a little "safer" about traveling. Its pitiful. This quote by Ben Franklin perfectly expresses my opinion on the whole matter.

      "Those that would trade liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

    • 1 year ago
  • VoyagerFilms
  • Sarah_Honea
  • MotherForTruth
  • Vierotchka
  • Vierotchka
    • +1
      Vierotchka  
    • Image
    • VoyagerFilms:

      U.S. Military Spending Compared to World Spending:

      United States military spending currently makes up 47% of world military spending. The U.S. budget is also more than 8 times larger than the Chinese budget, the second largest spender. [2] With figures like these it makes sense that U.S. military budget increases have boosted the world's military expenditures. As stated earlier if the cost of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is taken out of worldwide figures, then global military spending would have shown a rise of 4% in 2003, rather than the actual 11%. So where does this increase of 4% come from? Do the United States military budget increases have any affect on the military budgets of the rest of the world? What's going on with military spending outside of the United States?

      The Relationship Between Rising Military Expenditures in the U.S. and Military Expenditures in the Rest of the World:

      While military spending is rising in several other major countries, in comparison to the United States these increases are much smaller. There is little evidence that the rise in the rest of the world is because of the strong increases in U.S. military spending. It is hard to determine the U.S. influence as apposed to more basic drivers of military spending- such as changing threat perceptions, increased global responsibilities and force projection, and the dynamics of military technology- in particular, because these common factors are often interlinked with the relevant countries' relation to the United States. [1]

      Military Spending in Other Important Countries over the Past Five Years, 1999-2003:

      Although other countries have lower military budgets than the United States, many of them still account for a large share of the world military spending pie. In 2002 and 2003 the 15 major spenders accounted for 82 per cent of world military spending according to SIPRI estimates, which leaves 34 per cent for the 14 major spenders next to the USA in 2003. How are these countries reacting to the massive increases in US military spending in 2003?

      Among the four major spenders next to the USA- China, Russia, Japan, and, France. Only China has made any significant increase in its military spending since 1998 (an annual average rate of 10-12 %). Military spending in the other countries also increased but only moderately.

      The next five in size the UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, India, and South Korea account for a considerably smaller share of world military expenditure but they are still large enough to have an impact on the trend. Among these, it is only Iran that has made a major increase in its military expenditure since 1998, primarily because of a major jump in 2003. UK spending was raised by supplementary allocations to cover the costs of war with Iraq. In Germany and Saudi Arabia 2003 military expenditure was lower than in 1998, while in South Korea there has been a slight resumption of military expenditure since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.

      The other four countries in the group with rank numbers 11-15 are Israel, Italy, Turkey and Brazil. Both India and Turkey are on long-term growth paths. The same is true for Israel, but in 2003 its defence budget experienced a major drop, primarily for economic reasons. Its defence budget for 2004 is however set to increase again. Brazil's military expenditure increased until 2002 but dropped in 2003.

      * All above information provided by SIRPI [3]

      http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~jephrean/classweb/In%20Context.html

      ......................................

      Which is why the "US Department of Defense" is a total misnomer - defense against what? It should more correctly be called the "US Department of Offense", or perhaps the "US Department of Paranoia"...

    • 1 year ago
  • MotherForTruth
  • dudefromtherock
  • antiutopia
  • VoyagerFilms
  • antiutopia
  • VoyagerFilms
  • mik661
    • +2
      mik661  

    • Look no further than conservatives preying on the fears of older Americans to support ever lengthening prison sentences for non violent crimes and drug possession. The industrial prison complex is an exploitation of this situation not a cause.

    • 1 year ago
  • VoyagerFilms
    • 0
      VoyagerFilms  
    • mik661:

      Can't discount the desires and ambitions of law enforcement, judges and the "system" in general. Wherever you have people looking to increase their take home, they will seek ways to justify - AT the expense of others.

      These people don't see it that way generally, since they aren't the ones with a knife or a gun on someone demanding the money, but they nevertheless accomplish the same ends and very importantly to consider, rationalize it the same way the common criminal does.

    • 1 year ago
  • mik661
  • MotherForTruth
  • chief_longhair
    • +5
      chief_longhair  

    • our prison system is nothing more than another big profit making scheme for someone who has a membership card to the good ol'e boy club of corporate america.

    • 1 year ago
  • dreamsenvoy
  • beautifulmiddlefinger
    • -1
      beautifulmiddlefinger  
    • Image

    • prisons arent prisons anymore, they are now concentration camps! people have been screaming this stuff to people for decades, and labeled "delusional", or a "conspiracy theorist". its to late now, they have complete control! welcome to nazi-america!

    • 1 year ago
  • Ihatethemall
  • timetide
  • Sparky2U
  • Saladin
    • +8
      Saladin  
    • Sparky2U:

      Exactly.

      Don't wanna spend five years in jail? Well you better make sure that when you order an exotic fruit off the internet that you've read the daily changing and utterly labyrinthine regulations that control it. Because it would be legal to purchase and illegal to possess it.

      Police officers are just doing their jobs, this is why they need to frequently confiscate civilian property involved in crimes to keep their budgets afloat. Remember, it's not theft when the police do it.

      Everything is just fine. You'll never be fucked over by a justice system heavily influenced by private prison lobbyists, overzealous police and opportunistic prosecutors.

      Just take some personal responsibility.

      Except for that woman who got jailed, stripped searched, and had to fight a year-long prison sentence for carrying a small carton of applesauce in her carry-on luggage onto a plane. It was no help there.

    • 1 year ago
  • VoyagerFilms
    • +2
      VoyagerFilms  
    • Sparky2U:

      And what of those people who didn't do the crime and pay the price any way? To simplify the issue to black and white does not come close to intelligently addressing the problems.

    • 1 year ago
  • UtopianSky
    • +4
      UtopianSky  

    • I agree.

      We need more active rehibilitation programs, teaching people convicted of simple economic crimes job skills for when they return to the real world.

      And, we need to improve our nation's public school system so kids don't become criminals in the first place.

      And we can't do either one with teabaggers in office, cutting any program designed to improve this country.

    • 1 year ago
  • ankab
    • +1
      ankab  

    • Yes Dog boy It is always good to say I love my country. Never say bad things about it. That also taks care of people who want the right of self expression. You don't care. All your needs are met. I hate to tell you but there are people who would have trouble working as executioners for death penaly individuals.

    • 1 year ago
  • DogBoy
    • +2
      DogBoy  

    • I agree our judicial system is dysfunctional and we do need to update and reevaluate the hypocrocies of some of these laws that were made way before most of us were born. They just keep adding laws and no one seems think that some laws may need to be subtracted,replaced or updated. However as cumbersome as our judicial system is, I still think it is better in the country than in any other country. If I had to go to court for breaking a law I would rather it be here than in another country.

    • 1 year ago
  • Sarah_Honea
    • 0
      Sarah_Honea  
    • DogBoy:

      Query: what is your ethnicity...By the Maltese cross I am betting you are of European Origin. So yes being here is the best thing. With the skin color you and I share we can rob, cheat , rape, and steal. where the Jury can pity us for getting mixed up in the wrong crowd. We're Ubermench right?

    • 1 year ago
  • thedirtman
    • +3
      thedirtman  

    • The critical number is 1%. The 4 of the 5% of the world that is America is made up of children too young to vote, people that just don't care, and rational people.

      The other 1% believes they must dominate the world. The consequences of their actions are horrific.

    • 1 year ago
  • MotherForTruth
  • Incredulous
    • +11
      Incredulous  

    • and yet....the most notorious criminals among us, the Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld administration, go free, write books about their war crimes, and are given high profile public interviews to pander their pathetic excuses for the crimes they committed against the world.

    • 1 year ago
  • kennymotown
  • kennymotown
  • Nephwrack
  • ahappymintleaf
    • +3
      ahappymintleaf  

    • Prison Industrial Complex. Military Industrial Complex. We profit off of destruction. It's what being a superpower means.

      Supporting tougher laws and increased "security" only permit further abuse against... well, everything. Search out and change the causes of crime, not just make those deemed criminals disappear.

    • 1 year ago
  • unimatrix0
    • +17
      unimatrix0  

    • Great post - important topic.

      The war on drugs must come to an end. Prison for profit must come to an end.

      Prison should be used only as a last resort to house and punish those that commit violent crime.

    • 1 year ago
  • Dmerza1989
  • kennymotown
    • +7
      kennymotown  
    • unimatrix0:

      14 million young voters from 18 to 30 that voted for Obama in 2008 didn't even show up this last midterm! It is estimated only 6 million of those, is all it would have taken to beat back the right wing vote. How can anything change when we have the very future prison population sitting on their hands during an election that could have kept change going? My frustration is clearly evident too you and many others, I don't care, I'll spark a revolution if that is the only way too light a fire under citizens.

    • 1 year ago
  • remanns
  • Sparky2U
    • -10
      Sparky2U  
    • kennymotown:

      Those 14 Million young voters are not stupid. They have seen what the truth is, the Obama & Democrats Agenda are a failure and border on treason. Still playing with your Army Men huh Kenny?

    • 1 year ago
  • kennymotown
  • dreamsenvoy
  • Ihatethemall
    • 0
      Ihatethemall  
    • kennymotown:

      Yes I am and she better not leave the kitchen again........LOL Just kidding.

      Speaking of that you know why womens feet are smaller than a mans?

      Why do they wear white on their wedding day?

    • 1 year ago
  • kennymotown
  • Ihatethemall
    • 0
      Ihatethemall  
    • kennymotown:

      Their feet are smaller so they can stand closer to the appliances and they wear white so they match those appliances........My wifes HATES when I tell those jokes but hey WTF you gotta find humor in every aspect of life right?

    • 1 year ago
  • kennymotown
  • Ihatethemall
    • +1
      Ihatethemall  
    • kennymotown:

      Colette picks out my clothes too. Otherwise I would wear my bib overalls everywhere we went. I would look like George the handyman from the show Newhart.

      Damn good thing we are with respectable women.

    • 1 year ago
  • kennymotown
  • Dmerza1989
    • +2
      Dmerza1989  
    • Sparky2U:

      Please explain this to me why did they not get up and vote against Obamas agenda? In this midterm election 58% of youth voted democrat.if what you said was true then wouldn't the voter turn out be the same or close to the presidential elections just a majority for the right? Did the right do something in which cost them votes also?No one got the votes so how can you blame it on just one side of the party?

    • 1 year ago
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