Mississippi Jails Are Losing Inmates; Local Officials Are ‘Devastated’ By The Loss

Much more on this story here.

So...a local economy with a lifeline built on mass incarceration. If there is any question why mandatory minimums exist, look no further. It's good to see some states laxing penalties and forming early release programs for non-violent offenders... jails should be reserved for the real threats to society. As far as the jobs ... you form your foundation on sand, you live with the consequences. Prison populations are just as fragile as an economy built on tourism/gambling, and we should be questioning the true intentions of those that are actively lobbying mandatory minimums & truth in sentencing policies.

 

Very interesting , wonder what the property value in the area is like ?

 

This is probably the biggest reason why every American should oppose privatized prisons. Prisons should not be a for profit industry. It creates a conflict of interest within the government.

 

UPDATE: Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Responds to Counties about Regional Jails

Source

Because she can say it much better than I can...

Who makes money off mass incarceration? Not just private prison companies. Local economies in many regions of the country have become dependent on prisons and jails, complicating efforts to downsize. Prisons and jails mean revenue and cheap or free labor. Prisoners themselves have become commodities to be traded, sold, or bargained for -- reminiscent of an era we supposedly left behind. - Michelle Alexander, Law Professor - The Ohio State University
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What a sick premise to base a county's economic health on. If you think about it, you are 'investing' in results of criminal conduct, to recoup part of the economic losses inevitable in communities ravaged by that same conduct.

 

Who'da thunk it? That having privatized prisons would be a bad idea?

Literally anyone. Ray Charles could see that, and he's both blind and dead. It is literally the easiest thing in the world to realize that for-profit prisons is a stupid ass idea.

Who is the absolute (*)(*)(*)(*)ing bonehead who thought it was a good idea? Either that guy was the dumbest person in the history of the world, or corrupt as all (*)(*)(*)(*). And seeing how much money the prisons put in the pockets of politicians and prosecutors, I know which option I'd wager on.

 

Actually this idea took off during a time of recession, with a 'taxpayer revolt' led by a series property tax and sales tax relief initiatives in western states, passed via referendums which handcuffed legislatures ability to respond to the stresses on state and local budgets. States were absolutely desperate for anything that might help balance the books in the face of devastating revenue shortfalls and still keep penitentiaries running and in compliance with appellate court 'overcrowding orders'

I hate to use this cliché, but 'it looked like a good idea at the time' to a lot of very frustrated lawmakers who would never reach sine die without some real out of the box bills. Now on the other hand there were plenty of voices both in an out of the legislative halls screaming, but no one was in the mood to listen

 

Not necessarily so nefarious. The prisons were going to be built anyway, so why not place them in rural areas that could use the jobs. It is cheaper to build a prison in BFE than it is in the middle of downtown anywhere. It also allows them more room to expand if necessary.

 

Who? People like Jan Brewer, for one. Gotta keep that cash flowing!

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news...r-liberals-jt-readys-still-a-neo-nazi-6438658

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/07/26/109493/prison-brewer/

http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010...vate-prisons-that-could-benefit-from-sb-1070/

 

Americans need to realize that the federal government was infiltrated at the civil war. It is the infiltration that allowed corporations to have personhood. It was the infiltration that decided to privatize prisons as corporations and offer states money to legitimize the practice.

This can only be cured by our use of our right to a lawful and peaceful revolution.

We need to overcome the chicken and egg issue of our dependence on media to share vital information in order to restore constitutional government. That means each of us must share the basis of what makes us "masters of the congress and the courts", our exclusive right to define constitutional intent. This inquiry provides a way to inform and align agreement upon definition of prime constitutional intent. Spread it as far and wide as you can every day.

Do you agree and accept that the framers of the founding documents intended for us to alter or abolish government destructive to our unalienable rights?

Do you agree and accept that the ultimate purpose of free speech is to enable the unity adequate to effectively alter or abolish?