OT Hard Week

(((((((Tina))))))))

There's something seriously wrong with our system when non-violent drug
offenders receive harsher sentences than rapists, murderers, etc.

What is wrong is that running a prison is the NUMBER ONE (!!) fastest growth
industry in America...with all those uniforms, new prison construction,
cafeteria food, records maintainence etc, being support industries that are
making record breaking growth. (thats not even mentioning the lawyers
involved all along the way, and hardly ever working for free, either)

We build more new prisons than we do new schools here in the US, and spend
more maintaining the existing ones. Do a comparison of first year public
school teacher pay and first year guards at prison pay...don't kid yourself
into thinking that prisons are more "dangerous" either, as many school
students are currently armed and few prisoners remain so for long. Prisons
are very profitable, and guess what is the raw resource that is needed for
continued growth....yes, it is MORE PRISONERS. More prisoners=more money for
those supporting the prison systems as a business. Its all about numbers
and there are many more people involved in non-legal drugs by comparison to
those commiting murder or rape. Watch commercial television and you will see
that we are daily conditioned towards being drug users by our predominant
advertisers the pharmaceutical industry (the other growth industry, what a
coincidence) ---"Tired? buy this drug! Too edgy? Buy this drug! Sick from
all the drugs you've taken? Buy this drug! Dying or dead? take a pill, and
LITIGATE!"

Sarajane

(also re-sending)

You know, this is something most people don't understand. The price is
horrific. There are so very many people who go to jail. In Alaska 45% of
residents have been in jail!!!! And this really is not a state swarming
with criminals. I don't know what the statistics are in other states.

In spite of the high percentage of people who go to jail, the problem is not
very visible. But only in the "elephant in the living room" sense. People
deny the problem; lie about that uncle or friend, so that even close friends
and relatives often don't know. So the problem isn't addressed because it
isn't acknowledged.

Of course, one of the problems with correcting our problem of having too
many people in jail is that there are so many employees who would lose their
jobs, and unions that would lose power.

I think we will have to attack this problem and the one of national health
at the same time for 2 reasons. One is that it will give those
employees -- record keepers, support industries, etc -- some place to
go.
The other is that mental and physical illness often lead to crime or jail
(as well as
unemployment, etc).

I wish the Democrats would look at this the way Republicans often look at
things. They will claim a benefit to society as a whole comes from giving
corporate welfare
which then trickles down to every one. I say that citizens with good
physical and mental health are a benefit to society leading to better tax
payers. Reform for prisons will lower costs which were similar to our
expenditures on defense against foreign offenders, and will keep people out
of an environment where they learn criminal behaviour.

Ironically, while the immediate benefits of both would go to the poor slob
on the lowest rungs, the greatest benefits would eventually trickle up and
accrue to the wealthier people. Just as they benefit from public schools
which provide better employees and customers.

Tina


"Sarajane Helm" wrote in message
. ..
(((((((Tina))))))))

There's something seriously wrong with our system when non-violent
drug
offenders receive harsher sentences than rapists, murderers, etc.

What is wrong is that running a prison is the NUMBER ONE (!!) fastest
growth
industry in America...with all those uniforms, new prison construction,
cafeteria food, records maintainence etc, being support industries that
are
making record breaking growth. (thats not even mentioning the lawyers
involved all along the way, and hardly ever working for free, either)

We build more new prisons than we do new schools here in the US, and spend
more maintaining the existing ones. Do a comparison of first year public
school teacher pay and first year guards at prison pay...don't kid
yourself
into thinking that prisons are more "dangerous" either, as many school
students are currently armed and few prisoners remain so for long. Prisons
are very profitable, and guess what is the raw resource that is needed for
continued growth....yes, it is MORE PRISONERS. More prisoners=more money
for
those supporting the prison systems as a business. Its all about numbers
and there are many more people involved in non-legal drugs by comparison
to
those commiting murder or rape. Watch commercial television and you will
see
that we are daily conditioned towards being drug users by our predominant
advertisers the pharmaceutical industry (the other growth industry, what a
coincidence) ---"Tired? buy this drug! Too edgy? Buy this drug! Sick from
all the drugs you've taken? Buy this drug! Dying or dead? take a pill, and
LITIGATE!"

Sarajane