United States of Prison

5% of the worlds population, yet 25% of the world's prisoners.
That alone got me thinking........

Pretty informative video from a YouTuber:

Errhh, or just look at the facts yourself. The united states prison system has been taken over by corporations that are in it for the cash flow. Its also starting to happen here in Canada as well. A key point AJ does make is that the most people for the same crime are repeat drug offenders.

A great song about this is called "Prison Song" by System of a Down.

Prison Song

**WARNING** Language and Screaming.

Please get a little perspective on this. How in the world do you think you have actual figures as to how many people are in prison around the world? Iran? China? Cuba? I somehow doubt prisoners in Iran are A) all accounted for and B) treated as well as US prisoners.

I'm not saying the US system is perfect, but the comparisons made are laughable.

It is not really like all those people are innocent.

Originally posted by PrimalRed
It is not really like all those people are innocent.

Neither is it like all those people are guilty.

And of those who are what exactly are they guilty of? Real violation of life, liberty or property of their fellow man or something else entirely?

In Serbia even the MOST VIOLENT criminals get to go home to their wives on weekends, with 3 months good behaviour. They also can go outside whenever they want and they have a swimming pool.

Last prison riot? Over 15 years ago. They even mix murders and rapists with small time thieves.

This was on History network last year, wish I knew the name of the program...

Originally posted by jjkenobi
Please get a little perspective on this. How in the world do you think you have actual figures as to how many people are in prison around the world? Iran? China? Cuba? I somehow doubt prisoners in Iran are A) all accounted for and B) treated as well as US prisoners.

I'm not saying the US system is perfect, but the comparisons made are laughable.

Good point, i was having a similar discussion with a friend the other day. He blamed the war on drugs as why our prison population was so high, he was 1/2 right if you ignore the fact that some countries like Iran (among others) will execute people for drug possession, now THAT is a war on drugs.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

Originally posted by PrimalRed
It is not really like all those people are innocent.

Neither is it like all those people are guilty.

Most of them are, there might be a very small number of innocent people that are in prison.

And of those who are what exactly are they guilty of? Real violation of life, liberty or property of their fellow man or something else entirely?

What do you want a detailed list of each prisoner in america and what they did? Or are you just letting your heart out so it can bleed for everyone to see

Originally posted by PrimalRed

What do you want a detailed list of each prisoner in america and what they did? Or are you just letting your heart out so it can bleed for everyone to see

Wow, never been accused of being a "bleeding heart" before. This is going down on the calendar.

There's a big difference between committing a violation against another human being and being tossed in prison because you violated an arbitrary tenant of government decree. One is a true danger to others while the other is not yet they both share the same stigma and burden of being "felons" and "convicts."

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

There's a big difference between committing a violation against another human being and being tossed in prison because you violated an arbitrary tenant of government decree. One is a true danger to others while the other is not yet they both share the same stigma and burden of being "felons" and "convicts."

Arbitrary tenant of government decree? Couldn't you play that game and say every law is just an arbitrary tenant if you wanted?

Originally posted by PrimalRed

Arbitrary tenant of government decree? Couldn't you play that game and say every law is just an arbitrary tenant if you wanted?

Not in this case since I clearly differentiated violations of life, liberty and property to be societal dangers.

Are you truly so dense or is this charade for entertainment purposes?

Exhibit A: man murders man. Violation of life, liberty and property. Danger to society.

Exhibit B: Farmer has a half dozen pot plants in his field. Violation of......? Threat to........?

Both spend years behind bars and carry the scarlet letter for the rest of their lives.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


READ
www.justice.gov...

But if you are knowingly going to break a law that you think is stupid you can't really cry when you get sent to prison over it. That is just stupid there is no better word for it.

reply to post by PrimalRed


Cultivation is not simple possession. I never made the claim that prisons were full of users.

Your perspective is interesting. For one to knowingly run afoul of a law to suffer the consequences. As though no alternative exists. It is the way it is and you dont know why it is but it is the way and all should respect the way it is.

I can't relate to such a narrow view.

You dont know why the king has to rape your wife on your wedding night but its always been that way so you better accept it.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Cultivation is not simple possession. I never made the claim that prisons were full of users.

They are not full of cultivators either.

For one to knowingly run afoul of a law to suffer the consequences

What a concept, ground breaking really. I call it "personal responsibility"

As though no alternative exists.

Alternatives DO exist it just requires that people are not lazy, Move to a state that lets you do what you want to do.

It is the way it is and you dont know why it is but it is the way and all should respect the way it is.

There ARE ways to change laws. Just breaking them over and over and crying about it does not change anything.

What do you expect when the corporations that run these prisons are traded on the stock exchange....

Just like any other business it need to turn a profit to make the investors happy.....

Originally posted by PrimalRed

There ARE ways to change laws. Just breaking them over and over and crying about it does not change anything.

That right there is how prohibition got repealed. It wasnt petitions and voting. It was widespread direct defiance coupled with over the top violence in a ever-growing black market which resulted in highlighting the futility of such a law.

For better or worse door-knocking petition holders didnt repeal that law. Streets filling with bodies and juries unwilling to convict did.

Originally posted by Zaanny
What do you expect when the corporations that run these prisons are traded on the stock exchange....

More mindless propaganda... The UK has private prisons also.
The US had privatized inmates since the 1800s the modern version of privatized prisons did not come about until the 80s AFTER the war on drugs

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

That right there is how prohibition got repealed. It wasnt petitions and voting. It was widespread direct defiance coupled with over the top violence in a ever-growing black market which resulted in highlighting the futility of such a law.

For better or worse door-knocking petition holders didnt repeal that law. Streets filling with bodies and juries unwilling to convict did.

What is this?
en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by PrimalRed


That's governments reaction to the direct defiance of the people.

Funny enough, right up to the very end the feds were still pounding peoples heads with their "successes" and reasons why prohibition should stay in place not unlike those DEA "facts" you linked to.

Desperate attempts to justify their own existence and the wealth and power created by proxy.

There is no such thing as an unjust or failed law to those charged with enforcing laws.

I would say 90% of people in jail probably shouldn't be there. Obviously those considered a danger to society, the murderers and rapists, paedophiles and violent criminals, need to be locked away, but anyone else would be better off doing some type of community payback than being sent to a dehumanising environment, where they only pick up more tricks from the criminal underworld, coming out better criminals than before they went in.