The Corporate States of America

[stalebiscuit]

OOOOH! OK I see

So private prisons are ok for "violent heavy offenders" because it is ok to make money off them. The problem is that is not the truth man.

You see our prison system is full of people just like you who smoke pot maybe grow pot. These people never committed a violent crime either. Why? You say.

Well we have created an industry out of imprisoning, prosecuting, and I would not be surprised if industry makes its way into enforcement. Big business makes lots of money and the motive is to make more money. How does a Prison Contractor make more money? You got it imprison more people!

Of course most people are like you and remain unaware and then defend their fragile opinions by slinging insults.

So smoke another J with me and think about it, do your own research. The truth about this country, government, and society will set you free. Or you can continue to live in fear.

no, private prisons are coll for any criminal

and no, not like me, i dont support the weed laws really, but then again i dont grow heavily or sell it, so not like me

and really how many criminals in the prisons right now are like that? id say the vast majority are just plain not good people

also, i dont live in fear, i just live

 

[CrackerJax]

Private military forces hired in Iraq

Private Prisons

Privately trained and hired prison guards

Private Police?

What is next?

How long will we allow for corporations to decide government policies?

What will you stand for?

Every now and again i get a wild hair and TOP OFF some new growth

You have your arse flying forward my friend.... the corporations don't decide Govt. policy, they merely carry out the marching orders of said Govt. The reason is the efficiency rate of production. When it comes to domestic crisis and financial meltdowns at home, the Govt. would like you to believe that they are the answer to the problems, but when it comes to national security, they know to end the canard and do it privately.... too much is at stake. Of course to keep up the myth they then castigate the private companies and tell the people they are investigating irregularities. Uh-huh....the govt. IS the irregularity.


So don't fly with your arse ahead of you .. it's a shitty ride

 

[dgittings]

Stalebisquit, do you realize that in order for a privately owned prison to make a profit, they need to be filled to capacity. Their owned by a corparation, corparations need to make a profit to stay in business. Theres counties in Texas that put nonviolent criminals in these prisons at crazy levels. Suspended sentences are very rare. Most are sent to prison for thier full sentence. We a s nation already have the highest percentage of people per capita in jail then any other country. In my opinion this is not very good for the america citizen.

 

[CrackerJax]

X=a+B+PX1/s of a peach pit.



out.

 

[NewGrowth]

Every now and again i get a wild hair and TOP OFF some new growth

You have your arse flying forward my friend.... the corporations don't decide Govt. policy, they merely carry out the marching orders of said Govt. The reason is the efficiency rate of production. When it comes to domestic crisis and financial meltdowns at home, the Govt. would like you to believe that they are the answer to the problems, but when it comes to national security, they know to end the canard and do it privately.... too much is at stake. Of course to keep up the myth they then castigate the private companies and tell the people they are investigating irregularities. Uh-huh....the govt. IS the irregularity.


So don't fly with your arse ahead of you .. it's a shitty ride

Ever read the Fortune 500 list? Most of these companies have larger profits than some developed companies total GNP. That means Exxon has more money than the country of Australia. Who decides policy now? I'll give you a hint it is the bigger guy.

Keep in mind this is profit after all the bills are paid.

Too much risk!? National security? Wait I'm confused are you talking about Terrorists?
We have invaded a sovereign country, destroyed its infrastructure, placed a puppet government, and now we are starting to steal their oil. And this is beneficial to national security because?

 

[NewGrowth]

no, private prisons are coll for any criminal

and no, not like me, i dont support the weed laws really, but then again i dont grow heavily or sell it, so not like me

and really how many criminals in the prisons right now are like that? id say the vast majority are just plain not good people

also, i dont live in fear, i just live

So under your new idea of a criminal we should not need to build anymore prisons. In fact a private prison system would not make a profit, too few prisoners. Stalebiscuit's definition of a criminal: Violent irrational human being, repeat offenders

Here are the stats man, most prisoners are in for non-violent drug related offenses.
More than half (55%) of federal prisoners are serving time for a drug offense, and 13% for a
violent offense.
· Nearly three-fourths (72.1%) of the population are non-violent offenders with no history of
violence.
· One-third (34.4%) are first-time, non-violent offenders.

(by now you should be outraged right?)

Here is the link if you want to check sources. http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/inc_federalprisonpop.pdf

 

[suedonimn]

I live in California, home of privatized prisons in America. These prison corporations have lobbyests in place with all kinds of ill gotten corrupt dollars waiting for laws to be made/lifted to the advantage of making a profit from putting PEOPLE in cages. Where the hell is PETA, are we NOT animals. One example; The Three strikes laws in California, aided and abetted by the private prison corporations to be made law. Why? Too many prisoners being released after their sentence was complete, reducing profit margins. These corporations needed a way to keep prisons filled.
When your business makes a profit from putting people in cages, it matters not what crime they have commited, as long as you can keep them it is money in the bank. The Government is not against this. Why? The Government gets to collect more revinue from your wallet via taxes. If you won't be a productive member of society and pay your dues, thats ok, "THEY" will put you in a cage and charge your neighbors with the bill.
I got this from wikipedia, Oh wait is that cheating? Am I supposed to know every fact from memory? Most people cannot even remember what they had for lunch yesterday, let alone remembering to water their house plants... speaking of which

Private prisons in the United States today.

Private companies in the United States operate 264 correctional facilities, housing almost 99,000 adult offenders. Companies operating such facilities include the Corrections Corporation of America, the GEO Group, Inc, Cornell Companies, and Community Education Centers. The GEO Group was formerly known as Wackenhut Securities.
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) has a capacity of more than 80,000 beds in 65 correctional facilities. The GEO Group operates 61 facilities with a capacity of 49,000 offender beds, while Cornell Companies has 79 facilities to service 19,226 adult and juvenile offenders in secure containment and community-based corrections.
Most privately run facilities are located in the southern and western portions of the United States and include both state and federal offenders.

Development of private prisons in the United States

Private sector involvement in United States prisons is not new — federal and state government have had a long history of contracting out specific services to private firms, including medical services, food preparation, vocational training, and inmate transportation. The 1980s, though, ushered in a new era of prison privatization. With a burgeoning prison population resulting from the “war on drugs” and increased use of incarceration, prison overcrowding and rising costs became increasingly problematic for local, state, and federal governments. In response to this expanding criminal justice system, private business interests saw an opportunity for expansion, and consequently, private-sector involvement in prisons moved from the simple contracting of services to contracting for the complete management and operation of entire prisons.
The modern private prison business first emerged and established itself publicly in 1984 when the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) was awarded a contract to take over a facility in Hamilton County, Tennessee. This marked the first time that any government in the country had contracted out the complete operation of a jail to a private operator. The following year, CCA gained further public attention when it offered to take over the entire state prison system of Tennessee for $200 million. The bid was ultimately defeated due to strong opposition from public employees and the skepticism of the state legislature. Despite that initial defeat, CCA since then has successfully expanded, as have other for-profit prison companies. As of December 2000, there were 153 private correctional facilities (prisons, jails and detention centers) operating in the United States with a capacity of over 119,000.

 

[NewGrowth]

Good post, thanks. I guess the nay-sayers are off doing their own research

 

[medicineman]

Private prisons, private armies, an Army brigade on the streets of America. What ever happened to Posse-comitatas?

The Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act substantially limit the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement.
The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385) passed on June 16, 1878 after the end of Reconstruction. The Act prohibits most members of the federal uniformed services (the Army, Air Force, and State National Guard forces when such are called into federal service) from exercising nominally state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers that maintain "law and order" on non-federal property (states and their counties and municipal divisions) in the former Confederate states.

So maybe it doesn't apply out west or up north. We're screwed.

 

[NewGrowth]

Private prisons, private armies, an Army brigade on the streets of America. What ever happened to Posse-comitatas?

The Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act substantially limit the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement.
The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385) passed on June 16, 1878 after the end of Reconstruction. The Act prohibits most members of the federal uniformed services (the Army, Air Force, and State National Guard forces when such are called into federal service) from exercising nominally state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers that maintain "law and order" on non-federal property (states and their counties and municipal divisions) in the former Confederate states.

So maybe it doesn't apply out west or up north. We're screwed.

Heavily on Blackwater forces were deployed in New Orleans . . . . The Katrina disaster was like a test to see what they could get away with. National Guard took peoples guns that they legally owned. I thought we had a second amendment? Guess our soldiers don't swear to the constitution anymore when they are sworn in.

But who does Blackwater swear too? The God of money would be my guess . . Armies, Police, and Thugs for hire . . . .

 

[suedonimn]

Private prisons, private armies, an Army brigade on the streets of America. What ever happened to Posse-comitatas?



So maybe it doesn't apply out west or up north. We're screwed.

Ask the four DEAD in Ohio, I think someone wrote a song about it? Hmmm... Yes we are definately SCREWED. Thats what happens to Native Americans... we get screwed. No vasaline.

 

[ViRedd]

"The Three strikes laws in California, aided and abetted by the private prison corporations to be made law. Why? Too many prisoners being released after their sentence was complete, reducing profit margins."

The three strikes law was passed in California because the citizens got sick and tired of violent felons being released over and over again to the streets of California, to continually cause chaos, mayhem and murder on our streets. The three strikes law makes it so, that if a violent felon commits his/her third violent felony, they automatically get 25 years to life. Thousands of second offenders, upon completing their second sentence, have left the state rather than take the chance of never seeing daylight again. As a result, the crime rate, especially the murder rate, is way down in our major cities. Check the murder stats for Los Angeles if you want a real eye opener.

http://www.laist.com/2007/12/23/homicide_rate_t.php

Vi

 

[suedonimn]

Vi, I understand what you are saying. However, you do realize it is these corporations money that lobbied for the law in the first place, and spent money advertising fear to get the citizens behind voting for a law such as this? The citizens of California certainly did not, or I was not informed. Some entity sponsered the footing of the bill to be written, some entity lobbied state legislature into beleiving that we needed a law like this.
I have personally witnessed this law being abused a few times, and I am sure it happens all the time. Mostly it is by bringing multiple felony charges to the table by the prosecution, and them hoping 3 will stick. BAM instant LIFER. Any number of laws will not protect any body living or incorporated from evil, if evil has sights on harming them. Not even threat of death.

 

[ViRedd]

Sue ...

The state legislature passed the three strikes law in response to the escalating murder rate being committed by multiple felony offenders. I'm not understanding where the corporations enter into this. I will say though, that the law HAS been applied unfairly in SOME instances. I personally know someone who's husband was given 25 to life for holding up a pizza parlor which was his third felony. Here's some interesting info for you ... If you remember Prop. 215, the medical marijuana bill ... the most money given in an attempt to defeat it was given by the California Correctional Officer's Union ... in other words, the prison guards. IMO, government unions suck big time.

Of course there are pros and cons to every issue the governemnt sticks it's hands into. Here's an interesting site regarding the three strikes law:

http://www.balancedpolitics.org/three_strikes.htm

Vi

 

[NewGrowth]

Violent crime aside, private prisons would not even be profitable if not for our current drug laws.

 

[Jonus]

In a perfect world, prisons would only be fore violent offenders and white collar criminals.

Unfortunately aside from what the law stipulates, the police see growers of weed in any shape or form as their local Al Qaeda network growing and selling misery to the next generation of youth introducing them to the world of reefer madness, drugs and a stepping stone to harder drugs.

That is their view of weed growers in a nutshell. Their biggest pet hate are growers that only grow one or two plants. One because its not worth dedicating a detective to follow them, gather evidence, raid them and arrest them, and two, they would not be able to justify the expense to spend on one individual with a couple of plants anyways even if they decided to have a go at that small time grower.

So this is how they get around that little problem.

Their end product is what they start with. They need to bust you selling and/or tie you into a 'marijuana cultivation ring'.

They found out about you because of a friend of a friend who got busted, squeeled and gave the police every name they could think of to get their ass off the hook.

So they know all your friends too, particularly who 'supplied' the friend of a friend (lets call him Fred) with the weed.

So they send Fred along to a party you are at, and get Fred to ask his friend for some weed. His friend is your friend, comes to you, you give him a baggy which he supplies to Fred for $xx.xx

Now youre busted for growing, never mind how much you grew, because they got you for supplying too, AND for being a part of a so called 'drug ring'.

They will paint your scrog grow as, 'sophiscated', and, 'clandestined' and make you sound like you are an intentional planning scheming lawless drug manufacturer whose whole existence is dedicated to clandestined drug cultivation and supply.

They will produce the FLIR images they shot of your house and skewer them to show how good you are at covering your heat signature...adding to the whole 'sophistication' senario of your grow and your dedication to subverting police surveillence tactics and breaking the law.

The 4 plants they found at your house will end up having a street value of what the police can conjure what 4 tree size plants could produce. Say, 2 pounds per plant, thats 8 pounds, divvied to rollable joint sizes that has a street value of.....shitloads.

Unless you are willing to take the stand in your own defense and claim u are a useless grower who couldnt get an oz of their plant even on their best day...once on the stand they will have a field day with you.

So you've gone from small time nobody grower to kingpin drug ring leader growing and supplying to dealers who onsell to students.

Things get worse if you have priors. They will make you look like a life time crim. My one brush with the law was like that. My only other run in with the law was in 1992 for careless driving. They added the two together to try and make me look like Al Capone meets Osama.

Anyways these is a common tactics they use.

Is that enough to get you in prison yet?

 

[suedonimn]

Vi, I think we have strayed off to a moot point. Argueing over who put forth another law with potential for bureaucratic abuse, is off subject. Is it right in a "FREE MARKET SOCIETY", that a business be allowed to profit from putting people in cages?
These prison companies(that are public) answer to a board of supervisors. Just like any business out to make a profit these boards make demands on these companies to always, always, always make and when at all possible increase profit margins. If your product is caged human beings how do you do this? I just think this scenerio has way too much potential for abuse. I like to think of Ben Franklins words when it comes to situations like these:" Those who would sacrafice Liberty for Security, deserve neither." We have all but given up our right to defend ourselves, by creating a service organization to enforce our laws. When that service organization can at best only be at the scene of ANY crime within 10 minutes. This is not security. This is no defense. It is only peace of mind, until reality shatters the illusion.

 

[TheBrutalTruth]

Vi, I think we have strayed off to a moot point. Argueing over who put forth another law with potential for bureaucratic abuse, is off subject. Is it right in a "FREE MARKET SOCIETY", that a business be allowed to profit from putting people in cages?
These prison companies(that are public) answer to a board of supervisors. Just like any business out to make a profit these boards make demands on these companies to always, always, always make and when at all possible increase profit margins. If your product is caged human beings how do you do this? I just think this scenerio has way too much potential for abuse. I like to think of Ben Franklins words when it comes to situations like these:" Those who would sacrafice Liberty for Security, deserve neither." We have all but given up our right to defend ourselves, by creating a service organization to enforce our laws. When that service organization can at best only be at the scene of ANY crime within 10 minutes. This is not security. This is no defense. It is only peace of mind, until reality shatters the illusion.

If it was up to me violent criminals would be punished

Murderers would be killed
Rapists would be killed also
Thieves, I'm thinking a lash with a cat o' nine tails for every $10 in value stolen

As far as people that are growing, since there is no victim there is no crime, and no, I disagree with the entire liberal idea that you can be the victim and the perpetrator in a voluntary transaction.

More importantly, one can only imagine how much wealth vanishes from the economy, because growers and sellers have money that they can't really do anything with, being unable to really use that much of it at a time with out having an Alphabet Agency mark them as a potential terrorist or a potential tax cheat.

It's absurd, the system that we have is flawed.

Though as far as corporation profiting from jailing people, as we can't kill our murderers and rapists, and whip our thieves, some one has to keep them locked up, and if that means it's a private corporation or a public corporation then I fail to see the difference. Either way the person is locked up it doesn't really matter who is doing it. Though one would imagine that since the private corps are doing it at the public corp's behest then the ultimate responsibility still lies with the public corporation. Especially when that public corporation is the one that refusing to acknowledge the wishes of its citizens and continues to act like sycophants for the private corporations when those same demand more people to be imprisoned for victimless crimes so they can collect more money.

Though I think essentially the point where the issue has to be addressed is at the public corporation, the government, if it was possible to make politicians understand how much money they can lose by pissing off smokers then they might act differently. Especially if that money can make the difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful campaign. Got to hit them where it hurts, the wallet, because anything else just wont work.

 

[medicineman]

Think about this: Once they have you incarcerated, you are theirs for life. They can throw charges on you everytime you come up for release, thereby preventing your release and guaranteeing them another sentence to be paid for. 3 years for minor pot possession can add up to life. Please don't try and tell me they are above this, it happens all the time. They plant some drugs, 5 years more. Make you defend your life from some lifer animal, 5 years more etc. You are just a number for profit.

 

[stalebiscuit]

Stalebisquit, do you realize that in order for a privately owned prison to make a profit, they need to be filled to capacity. Their owned by a corparation, corparations need to make a profit to stay in business. Theres counties in Texas that put nonviolent criminals in these prisons at crazy levels. Suspended sentences are very rare. Most are sent to prison for thier full sentence. We a s nation already have the highest percentage of people per capita in jail then any other country. In my opinion this is not very good for the america citizen.

as soon as anyone is a fellon, they are no longer an american citizen, face it, they cant vote, own guns, and have many rights suspended

get your wording right, while im sure there are a few who get mixed up in the wrong thing and are generally good people, the vast majority of people doing time are repeat offenders