Last night as I was going to the 711 for a cup of coffee, I somehow found myself in an intellectual conversation with an extremely articulate man. Unfortunately, this man is homeless. I was curious. I couldn't understand why a seemingly well-educated and well kempt man in his 40's was forced to live on the streets. He was willing to talk, I was willing to listen and eagerly ask questions. A couple hours later, I found myself amazed by his story and the unbelievable corruption within the US prison system. He was released from prison a few years ago and quickly realized that no one wants to hire an ex-con. While in prison he became well-versed in what he expained as "the Game" and vowed to never fall into the system's traps. Upon further research, I've found that the corruption is even worse than I expected:
Today's American prison system creates a “revolving door" – inmates are released without any job prospects and in most cases, without any place to go. No one will hire an ex-con, especially one who has been convicted of murder, rape, etc. Released convicts therefore resort to living on the streets -- increasing the crime rate and lowering property values. This is a common fact. The State obviously realizes this- in fact, this is done purposely. The government realizes that in many cases the former prisoners turned homeless will commit petty or victimless crimes (drugs, public indecency, etc). Today's laws enable a homeless person to get arrested for peddling (asking for change).
The federal government releases these ex-cons and purposely perpetuate this "game" by almost encouraging this increasingly problematic homeless situation. So why does the prison system want their inmates to fall into the revolving door trap and return to prison or jail? Prisoners' money or any personal collateral is put in a federal bank. In turn, the state collects BILLIONS on interest, as well as plea bargains.
Over 2.1 million people are in prison or jail today. The US has the LARGEST amount of people in the system in the ENTIRE WORLD. Women are the fastest growing segment of the prison population (103,000 women currently locked up). Today, the jails are all near capacity. 932 criminals are thrown in every week. An impressive statistic, if all of those criminals were rapists and murders. However, petty, small-time pot-dealers are being thrown in jail (for example), and being released angry, bitter, psychopathic, and with a vengeance. In many cases, less violent and aggressive inmates learn to become similar to their homocidal and/or perverted prison peers, and it becomes a means of survival while locked up.
Jeremy Travis, John Jay College of Criminal Justice: “What do we do with the 630,000 people coming out of state and federal prisons each year? That’s FOUR TIMES more than came out of state and federal prison 20 years ago, 1,700 people a day. So when we put them in prison we tend to forget that they all come out."
***Three years after release, two out of every three prisoners are back behind bars.*** (nexislexis.com)
12.6% of black men in their late 20s are in prison
3.6% of hispanics
1.7% white men
**On average, it costs TAXPAYERS $22,000 a year PER prisoner (2.1 million people currently in jail...you do the math). It costs the state 37 CENTS per tray of food. Granted, the prison guards must be paid and the jails must mantain a general upkeep. However, in no way, shape, or form does a prisoner use up $22,000 in funds by living in a 4 x 4 cell. Trust me. Where does the rest of the money go, you may ask? Well, directly into the POCKETS of the state.
Furthermore, consider this: 92,000 FOREIGN BORN criminals in the US prison system right now. At $22,000 a pop, the state collects 2 BILLION DOLLARS in foreign prisoners ALONE.
Interestingly enough, when an immigrant (or possible immigrant) is arrested they are simply ASKED if they were born in the US. If the criminal confesses his/her true status, immigration officials are notified and in most cases the felon is deported. Obviously, however, word quickly spreads to lie to inquiring officials, and the system simply accepts the FELON'S WORD WITHOUT ANY DOCUMENTED PROOF! Now with all the technology of modern day (and all the money within the system), you would think they could somehow confirm that a prisoner is a native to this country. But why would the state ever do that when they could capitalize off of foriegn criminals?
Also interesting, last year 125 people were exectuted, the lowest number since capital punishment reinstatement in 1976. (6th consecutive year of decline).
Wow. I never type in caps-lock. This situation has got me really heated because there's so little one can do about the absolute corruption of the government in this and so many other situations. Ignorance truly is bliss.
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