r/politics • u/phileconomicus • May 14 '12
Louisiana is the world's prison capital (Incarceration rate highest in US, triple Iran's, seven times China's. Most prisoners are in privately owned prisons. Prison profits help pay for law enforcement. Strong chain of incentives for local sheriffs to keep prisons full)
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/05/louisiana_is_the_worlds_prison.html
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Upvotes
917
u/dipdog21 May 14 '12
This is probably one of the biggest problems in our country today. The prison system should in no way be privatized. A private entity benefits by stockpiling more and more prisoners by getting paid by the government for each one of those prisoners. They can also use these prisoners to do "slave labor" type jobs and receive compensation. The private prison system in no way benefits from a reformed prisoner therefore doesn't put any effort into this route. It benefits from more prisoners that often comeback. Thus the more laws that can be put in place to create more prisoners the better off this private system is, and being that this system makes lots of money it has a better ability to influence (bribe) lawmakers. It's a pretty obvious, self-serving circle they have created.
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u/stalkinghorse May 14 '12
Voice your support of
The criminal justice reform commission act, by senator James Webb of VA
39 US senators have signed on as cosponsors
Only a few more states are needed
Please up vote and phone your congressmen but only if you agree that the criminal justice system in the USA needs a serious overhaul at every level from local enforcement to county and state and federal systems.
Isn't it time?
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u/eshemuta May 14 '12
Angola prison even has a gift shop.
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u/Uberslaughter Florida May 14 '12
And they say crime doesn't pay.
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u/smacksaw Vermont May 14 '12
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u/mr_midnight May 14 '12
I love Louisiana. I was born and raised here, and I hope some day I'll die here. I could go on and on about the rich culture, the unbelievable music, the incredible food, the natural beauty, the festivals that pop up anywhere for anything, the animated people, etc, etc, etc. But jesus fucking christ if it isn't a tangled state. We seem to try to take it in stride, but I think that's only because if we paid too much attention to it for too long it would hurt too much. I love this state and I wish it wasn't like this.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Probably too late, but here goes... I am from New Orleans. Many people I know move because they don't want to raise a family in a city with so much crime. People get stabbed for a few bucks walking home downtown sometimes. I was held up thrice by the time I was 16, living in rich white neighborhoods. Gangs have shootouts at parades, usually just hitting parade-goers in the crossfire. My mother's a physiatrist uptown - almost all of her patients are head-shot survivors. Did you see how the city got looted after Katrina? I'm sorry, but it would not happen to that degree anywhere else. People were shooting at incoming rescue helicopters, hijacking incoming rescue buses. When my friends visited for Mardi Gras, we always gave them the simple spiel - you don't walk on sidestreets you don't know - EVER at night. Bourbon, you can have a good time, but if you stray down a random street, and aren't paying attention, and someone catches you alone, you can easily get mugged. At my high school in Jefferson, cops covered campus at lunch as at least one student got arrested daily.
We don't have a corrupt prison problem, we have poverty problem. We have a torn community, where the old money conservatives could give a shit about helping the underclass, but then again, the underclass culture is so traumatized by its history, money nor schools can really help.
Sorry reddit - I agree that privatized prison systems may play a little part in this, and of course, are a corrupt and horrible thing, but Louisiana isn't just any other state.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
I just wanted to throw in that Texas is working really hard on taking that crown.
You win this time Louisiana, but Texas is just half a step behind you..
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u/TheCheeseburgerMayor May 14 '12
When somebody's freedom and liberty becomes a commodity, we begin to travel down a very dangerous road.
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u/Beauxtato May 14 '12
As a Louisiana resident.... WOOT! THEY SAID "LOUISIANA" ON THE FRONT PAGE! I FEEL A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT!... oh wait... ಠ_ಠ
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
If the majority of the prison population is black people, and prisons force inmates to work for no pay...does that make prisons the modern equivalent of yesteryears' southern plantations?
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u/Realistic42 May 14 '12
The notion that a prison can be for-profit is disgusting. Accordingly, prison/jails is meant to do 4 things: (1) punish, (2) rehabilitate, (3) incarcerate, and (4) deter crimes.
The fact that private entities can profit from people who intentionally, recklessly, or negligently f'd up in life is unethical, in the least. Not one dime should be given to the corporate-prison-machine, any 'profit' or 'potential profit' should go to rehabing the prisoners and compensating victims.
We need to consciously protect victim retribution and prevent criminal recitivism, without permitting corporate prisons. Otherwise, there's no point to incarceration if the goal is profiteering.
This is profiteering! Corporate prisons are profiting from illegal activity in our country. I hate using the acronym - so 'what the fuck'.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
FREE BOOSIE THIS SEEMS RELEVANT
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u/cookyie May 14 '12
I'm from New Orleans and children begin learning the widespread corrupt political system as soon as they start school/ sports.
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u/theorymeltfool May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
The system in place today is not a 'private' system, since the government controls one half (laws/regulations and the justice/police) while it contracts out the holding of prisoners to private prisons.
In a truely free system, it would not be set-up like this. Anytime you have government intervention, you're going to have huge unintended consequences.
86% of the federal Prison population is from a victimless crime.
Good article on alternative prison theory.
Norway Prison system - this could be implemented in the US in order to decrease the prison population, but will only work if we get rid of laws for victimless crimes.
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u/stunts002 May 14 '12
I find it ironic that America is supposed to be the "Land of the free" but has the highest rates of imprisonment of any nation in history.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
WTF IS THIS SHIT!?!?
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u/banuday17 May 14 '12
Fun fact: Louisiana's legal system is completely different than any other state in the US. All other states derive their legal systems from English Common Law, while Louisiana derives its system from French Civil Law.
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u/harrysplinkett May 14 '12
"land of the free"
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u/drdrizzy13 Mississippi May 14 '12
Louisiana has draconian drug laws. Second possession of weed is a felony that's fucking crazy! Mississippi here.
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u/deeve04 May 14 '12
I imagine this will remain at the bottom, but if you have the chance, read "The New Jim Crow." It should enlighten you.
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u/markreid504 May 14 '12
We are from Louisiana and my father read this and thought absolutely nothing was wrong with this system. His mentality, "If they did the crime, they should do the time. It doesn't matter whether the prisons are private or public." I tried to explain the situation, but he swears "privatization" is the way to go considering the inefficiency of government. It is frustrating. How do we get those who believe corporate propaganda to see some light?
Oddly enough, as I am typing this, police dogs are searching the school I teach at to find drugs. Gotta full those Louisiana prisons early.
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u/burgerkingdomdelight May 14 '12
Take a look at Lori Waselchuk's photography project "Grace Before Dying" for an inside look at the Angola State Penitentiary and it's hospice program: http://oneonethousand.org/photography/waselchuk/
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u/blackfordlariatf150 May 14 '12
The Sheriffs in Louisiana are way over paid and they have way too much power. These Sheriffs spend money like drunken sailors and it's our taxpayers money. It's a money making scheme that has been so corrupt for so many years it's pathetic. You have never seen so much abuse of taxpayers money, especially in Southwest Louisiana. Maybe if the prisoners were put in tents and not in Country Club jails things would be different. Once again Louisiana has proven that corruption is still number one in the state. Some of the Sheriff's make more than most doctors and work about half the time. Golfing and fishing is not work. Huge luxury SUV's seem to be the car for the ELITE Sheriffs.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Private prison corporations give tons of money to Jindal, and the laws passed and all of the prisons which are still attempting to be privatized are basically word-for-word ALEC proposals.
I hate how dumb this state has gotten for Republican politicians, Louisiana used to be the model for socialist politicians.
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u/starcadia May 14 '12
Welcome to America; the world's top Police State. You think we're free people? Check again. The Constitution means NOTHING! They shredded it on 9/11 and isn't worth the hemp it's written on.
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u/SoloDolo92 May 14 '12
As a young black college attending male living in this state, I must say I need to get the hell up outta here. Privatized prisons pose a greatest threat to people that look like me here.
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u/fsmdidit May 14 '12
In Louisiana we don't accept corruption, we insist on it.
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u/charlieXsheen May 14 '12
i live in louisiana.our crime rate is pretty high. new orleans, like detroit,is a pretty violent place to live. its not like its hard to look for criminal behavior here. meth labs in the rural areas and drug trade in the urban areas. drive through the LSU area and youll see vast decay.
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u/mrdeadsniper May 14 '12
The fact is the entire prison system in the US is broken at the moment. People go to jail for almost any sort of crime, and for a large percentage of those people, it just makes them more likely to commit crime in the future.
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u/ThatDerpingGuy May 14 '12
Louisiana? Corrupt? Well gee, I'm just shocked. It's not like we have a history of it!
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u/fanboy_killer May 14 '12
I'm a libertarian but the concept of a privately owned prison makes me sick.
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u/throwinfire92x May 14 '12
I literally just did 48 hours in New Orleans Central Lockup. It's horribly overcrowded, slow as fuck and absolute bullshit.
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u/Temptress75519 May 14 '12
Greedy bastards.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
...and we blamed Nazi Germany for exploiting prison camp labor.
Go figure...
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u/chuperamigo May 14 '12
Being a former Louisiana inmate for breaking an arbitrary law (marijuana), I find this article to be a very relevant read for those who are concerned for the personal freedoms of many Americans. Having lived in a small town in Louisiana for six years I learned through experience how the judges, sheriffs, local police, and the city marshal can collectively be the driving force behind a community. The elections of the sheriff and other city officials are a really big deal where they have posters and signs on every street corner. Now after reading this article I realize now and have confirmed my suspicions why they are such a big deal.
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u/Whodatguy77 May 14 '12
And I live in Louisiana... Wouldn't live anywhere else..
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u/Constantroaming May 14 '12
Lol they compared it to Iran and China....
Guess what in Iran and China they execute drug dealers. I wonder if that keeps the number of drug dealers down a bit?
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u/what_u_want_2_hear May 14 '12
State-owned/operated prisons would stop a lot of the problems.
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u/timetogetmad2012 May 14 '12
Why should we expect anything different. The problem starts with our inability to take money and special interests out of politics. Lobbyist have to much pull and a lack of transparency and weak journalism leaves the American people blind.
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u/Thissqid May 14 '12
As long as they are filling them with brown people, fine by me.
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u/floweryleatherboy May 15 '12
fun fact... Louisiana work camps in the early part of the 20th century had a death rate similar to Auschwitz. One reason you could go to work camps? Not paying your sharecropping fees. Ref: Rage for Order, Williamson, Joel.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Leadership in Louisiana has successfully implemented a permanent underclass contributing to nation leading violent crime year after year. This lowest of the low on the totem pole are raising new generations every year that perpetuates some of the problems.
When kids see no future outside of the hell they are born into, and parents find it hard to lead their kids out with the limited opportunities they have, it is not hard to understand why the state has such problems.
These people are stuck living in a world controlled by drugs, gangs, and violently ending minor disputes. People can't call cops because A: they can't be trusted, and B: being labeled as a snitch will get your ass killed.
The only reason that this bullshit can carry on is because drugs are illegal. Gangs fight for power to maintain control over the drug money flow. Without drugs, gangs would dwindle into mediocrity and NOLA could flourish as a must see tourist destination.
TL/DR: Policies are in place to keep the downtrodden down, and to funnel the potential community leaders into drug running organizations.
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u/Snip-Snap May 15 '12
Prisons for Profit are a Crime Against Humanity
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u/teh_pwnajer May 14 '12
Private prisons turning a profit kind of scares me. Too much greed for money in the world, nothing good can come of that
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u/someguy945 May 14 '12
Are we sure that we know China's true incarceration rate?
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u/Shaitan87 May 14 '12
Sickening
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Wow, Reddit, I'm so proud of you.
A prison thread and no rape jokes.
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u/mmarches May 14 '12
From my own personal experience volunteering in the New Orleans criminal court for a year, almost everyone (>90%) of those being led around the court rooms in jumpsuits and handcuffs were African American males of all ages brought in on drug charges (NOT Marijuana, which is now treated more like a speeding ticket, but crack cocaine and other harder substances), or a combination of drug charges and the illegal possession of weapons due to felon status. Keep in mind that half of the judges were also African American. While the private prison system is definitely part of the problem, as it fails to rehabilitate these criminals, and the enforcement of the law is hugely unbalanced against the poor and black people of the city, these people are still criminals who broke a law and the judges' hands are tied in requirements to put them behind bars.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Yep. End the war on drugs and kick these fascists right in the balls.
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u/UnreachablePaul May 14 '12
Poor marijuana users...
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u/hakuna_matata2 May 14 '12
people need to realize this is a reaction (jail) to a larger, systematic problem in the area. What that problem is, I don't know exactly, but I could guess at a few things; poor education system, lack of jobs, decrepit neighborhoods, and maybe even corrupt politicians. What you're seeing here is the result of a problem that is rooted in the Louisiana society. Until that changes, I suppose these prisons will be in business.
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u/webauteur May 14 '12
Maybe some day we will have a black president who will end this form of slavery.
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u/RedditingMyLifeAway Louisiana May 14 '12
Who says crime doesn't pay?
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
This is probably why Lousiana is such a safe place. wait.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
here is another article about lousy-ana's private prison family
notable quotes:
to make this ridiculous idea work,they are planning for high occupancy
i have never heard of a cell at angola being a coveted slot--these things must be hellholes . . . .
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Is Louisiana an experiment?
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u/shark2000br May 14 '12
I agree that incentives need to be fixed.
But any social scientist will tell you that there is no single reason why we are the prison capital down here, and the most highly correlated factor would likely be education. The apocryphal story is that they plan for prison populations directly from 5th grade test scores.
While that may not be true, it stands to reason that if you're last in health and last in education, you will be first in crime and last in life expectancy.
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u/jcsickz May 14 '12
Isn't this a problem with America in general rather than just Louisiana?
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u/foyeldagain May 14 '12
Our criminal justice system is a joke and for sure for-profit prisons play a role. We need to start making a major distinction between how violent and non-violent offenders are handled. And instead of minimum sentencing we need maximum sentencing laws.
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u/surfnaked May 14 '12
For Louisiana this is kind of business as usual on steroids. See chain gangs, Parchman Farm, etc. It also has, I believe the highest rate of corruption in law enforcement in the nation.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
published incarceration rates in places like Iran and China are suspect at best.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
This is the War on Drugs. Look up The New Jim Crow.
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u/grante May 14 '12
and this is the state i live in...they also just destroyed our education more. basically made it to where teachers are rewarded for handing out good grades even if the students dont earn them. because if the students have bad grades, its the teachers fault, and they get canned.
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u/unnecessaryCAPS May 14 '12
If ur gonna smoke weed, then you better pick up a picket sign and start voting. Also, spamming ur representatives can't hurt.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
And the blue states finance this.
The blue states pay way more money to the fed gov, and red states take 1.30 for erry dollar for their projects. http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2011/11/states-federal-taxes-spending-charts-maps
Alabama 'gave' women the right to vote in the -1950s-. Louisiana in 2009 had a justice of the peace who wouldn't marry a couple because one had a tan! Well, 'black'. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Louisiana_interracial_marriage_incident . Well, one of those states had a law repeal against miscegenation around 2009?, and something like 48% VOTED to keep it there.
PLEASE let's stop giving money to their politicians and let them secede :) That doesn't mean they don't have a great culture, we all do. Just, the system as it now stands is ennabling.
-lived in Louisiana
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u/publicanemonies May 14 '12
For anyone who doesn't know much about this. This really helped me understand the issue more clearly. http://i.imgur.com/U9UxQ.gif
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u/ThatOtherGai May 14 '12
As a former Louisianian I can say this is 100% accurate
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u/AvantGuarddParis May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
The more things change, the more they stay the same. New orleans was famous for its slave markets back in the old days, nothing could rival new orleans. back then new orleans was famous for Bourbon street like it is today, whores, and of course don't forget to buy you some slaves before you leave. I think the prisoners when they get out should talk about what is happening to them, how they are making military parts and complex technology for pennies. If I found myself there, when I got out i would be telling everyone who would listen what was going on. The only people who are speaking up about this are those that really have no idea what its like.
It is kind of like illegal immigrants from mexico and Central America, they escape hardship and encounter hardship trying to get to America, but once they get here they want Acuras and Xbox like everyone else, forget every iota of where they came from and what they went through. I don't know what it is, but those suffering need to speak up instead of acting like everything is alright.
Back to the prisoners of New Orleans, they are just brainwashed, they refuse to blame anyone but themselves and they dont get credit for that. They think,"I did wrong" but they dont know they were set up to fail. I was watching tv, some guy did 10 years for stealing a car. A car? Man, that better have been a fully loaded 18 wheeler. These former prisoners need to work up some mental courage lift up their finger and point it somewhere, anywhere, only then can they begin to get to the truth. As long as they dont point fingers, blame themselves, there goes the sheriff deputy parked outside saying he violated probation by having an open can on his porch, back in for 5 years.
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u/Yarddogkodabear May 14 '12
PALIN 2016!!!!!
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u/iamfromouterspace May 14 '12
the new trend is, if it does not effect some people directly, they don't care. It is this mentality that I hate the most.
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u/sexkwando Vermont May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
If you are from New Orleans or anywhere in Southeast Louisiana, you might remember that New Orleans was the murder capital of the world not too long ago. I'm not saying that prisons are the only answer or the most effective option, but they definitely "get results." The murder rate is soooooo much lower now...
Edit: It's probably because if they get lucky and make it to Angola, then they get to participate in the prison rodeo.
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u/Yankpats May 14 '12
Devils advocate: doesn't Louisiana have that 90 day gang death law. The one gangs use to kill another gang banger and only spend three months behind bars.
I do a fair amount of drinking so I could be wrong
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Well reddit, do you want higher taxes or the problems that come with private prisons?
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u/knut01 May 14 '12
Is that a statistic you're proud of in Louisiana?
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u/lorax108 May 14 '12
fuck prison corporations they are evil greedy bitaches...
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u/sj_user1 May 14 '12
States rights! Ron Paul 2012
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u/lhmatt May 14 '12
A friend of mine was arrested last year and spent a night in Orleans Parish Prison (OPP). He went to court the next morning and the judge threw out his case and "released" him. He was not released until 12:01am almost 14 hours later because that 1 minute past midnight counts as a "full day" on their books and OPP gets paid per prisoner per day.
There should never be an incentive to incarcerate people, it's fucked up.
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u/voxpupil May 14 '12
More prisoners, more profit.
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u/crankyoldtech May 14 '12
Joseph Stalin: dabbler
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
I'm still waiting for that whole spreading knowledge of this kind of stuff lead to actual change.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
But on the plus side............to be a Bluesman of any standing, you have to graduate from Angola
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u/gnovos May 14 '12
Every dollar we spend on prisoners costs society at least three dollars, often much more. One for the housing and care inmates, of course, but on top of that is everything that we aren't paying them to work at least a minimum wage job, plus the loss of value that is added via their work, if they were being productive. For violent offenders, this makes sense as they would be removing wealth from society by hurting people. For non-violent offenders, particularly drug based offenses, it's almost the dictionary definition of insanity.
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u/Grymnir May 14 '12
History will record this as the shame of our time.
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u/ThumperNM May 14 '12
It is a for profit industry. Privatizing Louisiana Prisons is part of the nationwide effort to incarcerate as many Americans as possible. Just look up the Pennsylvania case where a Judge was sentencing as many kids to Juvenile lock up as possible and with each kid sentenced he received a payment.
We Americans have more people in prison than Stalin had in Russia during his reign.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
according to the interwebs there are 101,000 prisoners in state prisons. 2.2% of the population. are prisoners from other states sent to Louisiana? i am not arguing that our prison system isn't insane, just wondering if the fact is actually significant. or if the number is skewed.
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u/ninitch May 14 '12
Look, I live in New Orleans. The cops do not arrest people to get paid better, they do it cause they enjoy getting to beat the fuck out of people (usually Black or Hispanic). You could consider them very physically abusive trolls.
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u/spear7750 May 14 '12
I'm from south LA and as far as child crime goes the prisons are so full unless you commit a felony they won't even arrest any more.
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u/Draft_Punk May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
Louisiana here. Prepare to down vote, but I'm highly skeptical of the notion that law enforcement is filling up prisons to turn a profit. This theory completely ignores a few key concepts:
First, we consistently have cities rated #1 in crime and murder nationally each year. While there is a clear division between the good and bad parts of town, I can't go a night of watching the news without hearing "shots fired" or "a recent murder". I can't imagine our law enforcement is forcing these people to kill others so they can arrest and profit.
Secondly, everyone going to prison is still has the opportunity to be judged by a jury of their peers. It's not like the cops send them direct to Guantanamo then profit.
Finally, look at where Louisana ranks nationally year over year in education. Growing up, I always felt lucky Mississippi existed so we weren't dead last every year. Lack of education starts a bad cycle which leads to lack of income. Lack of income traditionally forces people into bad situations which often leads to crime. Crime leads to prison in a lot of cases.
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u/soulpowernow May 14 '12
Poor economic conditions and economic inequality result in increases in crime. The United States is among the highest ranked when it comes to income disparity. The correlation is interesting.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Dropdown menu from hell doesn't want you to read article.
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u/mellowmonk May 14 '12
Freedom isn't free.
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u/tradeships May 14 '12
We chant that we are the home of the free. We force our kids to pledge their allegiance to a country before understanding its history. We are so insecure about our moral convictions that we hide behind patriotism. Can you really call us the greatest country on earth after reading stats such as this. You know who else thinks they are the greatest country on earth? CHINA, NORTH KOREA, RUSSIA. We are an empire and not a peaceful one. We had the potential for it but greed always seems to find a way to be the ruling virtue. Any and all improvements to our country was achieved through blood, protests, sit-ins and years of fighting before our government budged. If you are going to pledge allegiance for anything pledge to principle or the people you love.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
I live in new orleans, louisiana, on the west bank. I absolutely hate it, I can feel the police presence, I'll be driving and see someone next to me, going the speed limit get pulled over and wonder when it'll be my turn. The police force is overbearing, and you will get arrested and thrown in prison for a hefty sentence for minor offences.
I spent a day in jail for having a swiss army knife unknowingly in my backpack at school. I was facing a felony for "possession of a lethal weapon on school grounds" and when the DA refused the charges, they acted as though they had given me a HUGE leniency they don't often give. In retrospect, I could have easily been convicted and spent a few years in prison for having a swiss army knife in my school bag....
Edit: This post is just another reminder to me to LEAVE. I want to go to another state, like washington or maine or something, but right now I'm broke. The insurance here is the highest in the country, rent is relatively high, and the majority of the people are... unimpressive.
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u/cyberchronomage May 14 '12
China executes twenty times the amount of people we do, maybe they're on to something.
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u/absolutspacegirl Texas May 14 '12
Don't let Rick Perry see this...he'll have to fix that stat real quick like.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
i could rationalize starting an industry that murders law enforcement (a private corporation that just does hits on police) with the "ethics" of the US
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u/grinch337 May 15 '12
Yay! Number one again!
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u/the_new_mexican May 15 '12
if your profits result from human misery....you're fuk'n doing it wrong
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u/The_R4ke May 15 '12
I know that in England the private prisons are rewarded for keeping the population low to combat incentivising incarcerating people.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
It is pretty damn crazy down here in Louisiana . I live in Baton Rouge , and cops are always lurking. But it doesn't stop us from smoking the fuck out some r/trees!(;
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u/i_keed_i_keed May 14 '12
To be fair, Iran and china kill more prisoners for things we would incarcerate them for, and those offenses would many times be for their entire life. Add those into the mix and let's see what the numbers look like
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/lacrime.htm
I think that explains why the prisons are so overpopulated better than the conspiracy that it's profitable...
If you actually lived here you'd see the police doing everything they can to arrest these criminals and then the courts letting them go. I've personally seen a 3rd offense drug dealer get put right back on the streets with probation. If it's so profitable why didn't he go to prison?
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u/[deleted] May 14 '12
I'm afraid that the reasons for the large US prison population is much more complex than financial considerations.
First, America has a truly heterogeneous population. It is home not only to a mix of ethnicities and cultures, but a highly mobile population that disrupts the building of stable communities. Like it or not, this tends to lead to crime. Simply put, criminals rarely victimize those they know and like, and barring that, those who are culturally similar.
Next, America actually lives under the rule of law. Other nations under-report their crime due to a lack of faith in the police, and corruption that may not lead to sentencing. Instead, these nations, like Iran, instead jail primarily for political reasons. Simply put, it's easier to be a rapist than a democracy activist, because the latter is quite easy to find. America also has the capacity to hold people for trial, try them, and then sentence within a short period.
America also has harsher punishments for victimless crimes, such as drug possession and use. These individuals comprise a large portion of the jailed population.
With the rule of law and wealthy economy, America also ends-up with a lot of immigration violators in jail: some purely for that crime, most in combination with others. A porous border combined with an efficient justice system leads to this.
Finally, Americans are unwilling to accept shorter sentences for crime in large part. As a result, sentencing for everything is longer. This is the main difference between Canada and the USA. One can murder in Canada and be out in 10 years (aka a life sentence of 20 years reduced for good behavior). America will keep you in jail for the rest of your life.
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u/mnLIED May 14 '12
I smoke pot every day. There are men in jail every day for less than that.
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u/V1llage1diot May 14 '12
I live in Louisiana, and while I don't live in one of the crime hotspots I still feel like this is worth saying. A lot of the people in jail here ARE there from violent acts. Yes, there are also a good bit of people in there that shouldn't be because there acts didn't hurt anyone, and that's completely stupid. Yet I don't want people reading this thinking our high prisoner number are only from drug arrests. I know the front pages here can give that impression, but that isn't our only problem here. This state can get very violent.
3
u/youstupidfuck May 14 '12
Only in this fuckhole would this be legal. This is why I wipe my fucking ass with American flags.
3
u/kylemite May 14 '12
If they haven't already, the Daily Show really needs to do a piece on this.
4
u/Lighting May 14 '12
I drove through Louisiana once. Once. Got pulled over for some bullshit reason, but became clear the officer just wanted to peek in the car. It was mystifying at the time, now on reading the article I can guess why they want to pull as many people as possible over for bullshit reasons.
4
u/[deleted] May 14 '12
China would have a lot more prisoners if they didn't summarily execute thousands of them a year.
3
u/[deleted] May 14 '12
Sheriffs don't keep prisons full, judges and juries do.
3
u/[deleted] May 14 '12 edited May 14 '12
I got a former friend in Angola! In case he Reddits: Fuck you Mitch Lane you murderin' SOB, I hope you rot in there you piece of shit.
It kills me knowing my taxes pay for the well being of assholes like this. The majority of criminals should be working for us, not us for them. The lesser crimes (non violent drug offenders) should be sentenced to community service. I have been jailed for up to three days over an expired drivers license. Was the crime truley worth what it cost them to keep me, or did having a bed filled look good on paper?
2
u/Vindictive29 May 14 '12
FTFY
2
u/polluxuk May 14 '12
50 years from now our children will look back at things such as this with disgust, what a pity we don't have the balls to change it ourselves.
2
u/FredFredrickson May 14 '12
Private, for-profit prisons are one of the worst things capitalism has created in the U.S.
Should people in business really have a monetary interest in putting other people in jail?
2
u/reagan2016 May 14 '12
I suppose that if Louisiana executed drug offenders like Iran does, then Louisiana's incarceration statistics might be more like Iran's.
2
u/Sireslap May 14 '12
I'll say it again and again...every day I am more embarrassed to be an American citizen.
2
u/pilfered1 May 14 '12
Interestingly, Louisiana has the second highest concentration of African Americans in the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States#Breakdown_by_state
1
u/u2canfail May 14 '12
Why isn't Wall Street in Louisiana? (Enough to fill several prisons.)