The Issues: Private Prisons, The New Slavery?

[rhett o rick]

Are private prisoners the new slaves of the USA?
A new form of slavery is running strong in the United States.

With only 5 percent of the total global population, the United States holds approximately 25 percent of the entire global prison population.

China has a half million fewer prisoners than the United States, despite a population five times larger than the United States. In total, 2.2 million people are currently in U.S. prisons or jails.

Inside U.S. prisons, inmates reportedly produce 93% of U.S. paints and paintbrushes, 92% of U.S. stove assemblies, 100% of military helmets, and more, including products for companies including IBM, Boeing, Motorola, Microsoft, AT&T, Dell, Compaq, and Nordstrom’s.

While the U.S. violent crime rate has fallen drastically in the past thirty years, U.S. prisons and jails have had a 500% increase in population, thanks in large part to the efforts of private prison corporations. In the past decade alone, Geo Group and CCA spent over $45 million on political campaign contributions. By 2009, private prisons accounted for 8% of all prisoners housed in the United States. In 2011 alone, the two largest private prison corporations – The Geo Group and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) – earned over $3 billion.
http://wearechange.org/private-prisoners-new-slaves-usa/

Do you support private prisons? Does your candidate?

Private Prison Lobbyists Are Raising Cash for Hillary Clinton
As immigration and incarceration issues become central to the 2016 presidential campaign, lobbyists for two major prison companies are serving as top fundraisers for Hillary Clinton.

Richard Sullivan, of the lobbying firm Capitol Counsel, is a bundler for the Clinton campaign, bringing in $44,859 in contributions in a few short months. Sullivan is also a registered lobbyist for the Geo Group, a company that operates a number of jails, including immigrant detention centers, for profit.

Hillary Clinton has a complicated history with incarceration. As first lady, she championed efforts to get tough on crime. “We need more police, we need more and tougher prison sentences for repeat offenders,” Clinton said in 1994. “The ‘three strikes and you’re out’ for violent offenders has to be part of the plan. We need more prisons to keep violent offenders for as long as it takes to keep them off the streets,” she added.
https://theintercept.com/2015/07/23/private-prison-lobbyists-raising-cash-hillary-clinton/

The overly tough stand on crime by conservatives starting with Reagan and continuing thru today has seen prison populations skyrocket. This has had a devastating effect on the lower 99%. The cost, both personal and financial is tremendous and disproportionally affects People of Color. There is nothing to suggest that H. Clinton (known for being very tough on crime) will do anything to turn around this terrible trend.

Our exceptionally high prison population is indicative that our democracy is failing.

We need to elect a true Progressive that has always fought for democracy and fairness for all Americans. We need to elect Senator Bernie Sanders.

[Betty Karlson]

1. Completely agree.

Private prisons often force inmates to perform jobs for a pay far below the minimum wage. Refuse to do that mind-numbing job, and you'll find yourself locked up in solitary confiement and / or denied adequate medical treatment. Human rights are violated to ensure a rofit base line.

That is indenture / slavery by another name.

[rhett o rick]

5. Exactly. Thanks for responding. nm

[MaggieD]

2. Does he regret voting for mass incarceration?

"The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 passed the House just one week after Sanders made his impassioned speech, and Sanders voted for it. That act called for expanding the application of the death penalty on many more crimes, including large-scale drug trafficking. It also included a federal version of the “three strikes law,” requiring a mandatory life sentence for anyone convicted of a third serious crime.

That version of the bill ultimately didn’t become law, but instead a similar bill, the Omnibus Crime Bill, which not only expanded the death penalty but also decreased the minimum age for minors to be tried as adults, passed the House, once again with Sanders’ vote, and became law."

[Bluenorthwest]

13. 184 House Democrats voted for that bill, 64 voted no along with 131 Republicans. Bernie voted with

the Democrats, as did 2/3 of the Black Caucus including all leadership of that Caucus. Once it passed Bil Clinton signed it and he and Hillary both touted it before and after passage. I opposed the bill at that time. Bill Clinton pushed it hard.
In the Senate just 2 Democrats voted no. So Yes votes included Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Barbara Boxer....

But of course, somehow it's all Bernie.

[beam me up scottie]

17. He voted for it because it included the Violence Against Women Act and a ban on assault weapons.

Sanders opposed the Violent Crime Prevention Act of 1991 during his first year in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"All over the industrialized world now, countries are saying, ‘let us put an end to state murder, let us stop capital punishment’," Sanders said in a 1991 speech on the House floor. "But here what we’re talking about is more and more capital punishment."

The bill, which included provisions to authorize the death penalty as appropriate punishment for crimes involving the murder of a law enforcement officer, terrorism and drug trafficking, never reached the desk of President George H.W. Bush.

In 1994, however, Sanders voted in favor of the final version of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a bill that expanded the federal death penalty. Sanders had voted for an amendment to the bill that would have replaced all federal death sentences with life in prison. Even though the amendment failed, Sanders still voted for the larger crime bill.

A spokesman for Sanders said he voted for the bill "because it included the Violence Against Women Act and the ban on certain assault weapons."

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/02/viral-image/where-do-hillary-clinton-and-bernie-sanders-stand-/

[MaggieD]

18. Uh huh - LOL!

[beam me up scottie]

19. That's exactly the kind of substantive reply I expect from you.

Your candidate's ties to private prisons are suspect, she lobbied for her husband's crime bill, and she still supports the death penalty even though it's inherently racist, but when your smear against Bernie is exposed you respond with "LOL".

Typical.

[George II]

77. Interesting how that candidate and his campaign tends to distance him from votes that...

.....can be considered anti-civil-rights.

First he was for it, now he's against it. I'm really surprised because he never changes his positions.

[MaggieD]

78. Odd, isn't it?

I agree.

[JaneyVee]

3. Um, Hillary does not accept money from private prisons.

She donates it all as a way to deter donations. But Vermont is one of the only states to ship to private prisons.

[rhett o rick]

4. Do you have a link? nm

[MaggieD]

7. You didn't know that???

[kath]

8. Don't hold your breath waiting for one.

Those two reside in a fact-free zone.
Impervious to facts. When confronted with same, they deflect, they dodge, they weave, they twist themselves into pretzels, they turn...

And critical thinking or logic?? HA!

On edit - and they DISTORT - present a few cherry-picked facts to provide a totally distorted picture of the real situation.

[MaggieD]

9. You guys really need to try to keep up

https://www.colorlines.com/articles/hillary-clinton-vows-turn-down-donations-private-prison-companies

ETA - I await your apology for calling me names based on your lack of knowledge about this issue. TIA.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. I would apologize to you on her behalf. It's the right thing.

[AgingAmerican]

22. Article says she 'will no longer accept donations from them'

Meaning she was taking them but vows to stop.

[MaggieD]

24. Not "from them" - from lobbyist bundlers that have ever worked "for them"

.... in the past. So, she agreed to play your six degrees of separation game to give the bashers one less bogus claim to make.

I highly doubt Hillary knows the gritty details of every donation made to her. It's ridiculous to suggest she would. But do carry on. Nothing new about that sort of thing.

[AgingAmerican]

25. It's from your link

Clinton says she will no longer accept campaign donations from lobbyists and PACs that represent the private prison industry. So she stopped taking the money from them cuz she got caught. When will she return it or donate it to charity?

[rhett o rick]

21. Never have prove of their allegations. nm

[MaggieD]

6. More pie in the sky proposals from Bernie?

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-campaign-prisons-20151125-story.html

“I don’t make a whole lot of promises,” Sanders said, "but here is one I will make to you: If elected president, by the time I end my first term, this country will not have more people in jail than any other country.”

The vow came as Sanders railed against what he characterized as a racially unjust prison-industrial complex that feeds on mass incarceration."

He must have forgotten he voted for it.

But his plan is pie in the sky.

"To reduce the combined federal, state and local prison population by the amount Sanders’ pledge contemplates, King said, would require softening penalties for violent convicts, too.

“No candidates are talking about that,” he said.

Violent offenders convicted of such crimes as murder, rape and robbery accounted for 54% of the men in state prisons in 2013, according to statistics compiled by the Department of Justice."

[firebrand80]

10. We have 50 different criminal codes in this country

How is Bernie going to change prison sentences in 50 states?

Lemme guess, political revolution?

[MaggieD]

11. He is full of it

As usual. I don't know why people are so roped in by him. Common sense seems to be lost in this primary campaign.

[AgingAmerican]

30. Hillary is saying the same thing

“Hillary Clinton has said we must end the era of mass incarceration, and as president, she will end private prisons and private immigrant detention centers,”

That is from YOUR link.

[AgingAmerican]

23. By fighting for it

Duh

[AgingAmerican]

28. Hillary says the same thing now

That she decided to stop taking their money.

[AgingAmerican]

27. The tragedy of low expectations

[MaggieD]

29. You're in favor of releasing violent criminals?

Either Bernie is shining you on, or he believes in releasing a few hundred thousand violent criminals.

I am sure the voters will love that plan once it gets more press.

[AgingAmerican]

31. Hillary says the same thing

“Hillary Clinton has said we must end the era of mass incarceration, and as president, she will end private prisons and private immigrant detention centers,”

From YOUR link, BTW. You are such a hypocrite

[MaggieD]

32. She doesn't promise to release violent felons though

He does. From the link: “I don’t make a whole lot of promises,” Sanders said, "but here is one I will make to you: If elected president, by the time I end my first term, this country will not have more people in jail than any other country.”

He can't reach that goal without releasing violent felons.

By the way, I alerted on your post due to the name calling. I am sure you shouldn't worry though. #thesystemhereisrigged - you should be fine.

[beam me up scottie]

33. You alerted on someone for calling you a hypocrite?

Since you contsantly complain about alert stalking, doesn't that prove you're a hypocrite?

[AgingAmerican]

36. Her own link disproves what she says

Yet she keeps digging

[MaggieD]

38. #thesystemhereisrigged

Calling someone a name is OKIFYABSS

Hillary says the same thing
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=882560

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

Calling a poster a hypocrite is uncivil. Don't let stand just because the person supports Bernie.

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Mon Dec 7, 2015, 08:29 PM, and voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT ALONE.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Dear alerter: Stop wasting our time with your petty schoolyard scraps over petty remarks. This is the segregated Primaries forum. It is segregated because most people can't stand this sort of crap. Tip: try taking a break and just quit looking to the community to settle your childish slap fights. We have a monster in Trump, a crisis with ISIS, cops killing citizens, and THIS is what you worry about? Stop it.

And grow up.


Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: It's just a fact.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: It's an insult. Hide it.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This was alerted on?

[AgingAmerican]

49. Hypocrite:

a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypocrite

[beam me up scottie]

50. Like when she complains about links to right wing sites -after linking to a racist tea party website

[AgingAmerican]

58. Yep and many more

Seems to be a requirement or something

[beam me up scottie]

52. Lol! Jurors' comments:

It's just a fact.

And grow up

Ouch!

[MaggieD]

56. no worries - IOKIYABSS

Everybody knows that. I just think some objective proof is a good reminder. You'll find me doing that frequently, as appropriate.

[beam me up scottie]

59. Oh my god the DRAMA!

This thread just keeps getting better and better.

Now you're a victim of the same system you just abused to score points against Bernie supporters.

Those jurors nailed it.

[MaggieD]

60. No drama - I just like to point it out to you

Everybody knows it's true. Including you.

[AgingAmerican]

63. Juror #3

Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Dear alerter: Stop wasting our time with your petty schoolyard scraps over petty remarks. This is the segregated Primaries forum. It is segregated because most people can't stand this sort of crap. Tip: try taking a break and just quit looking to the community to settle your childish slap fights. We have a monster in Trump, a crisis with ISIS, cops killing citizens, and THIS is what you worry about? Stop it.

And grow up

You didn't bother reading that before you posted it either. You are so easy to pick apart when you do this!

[MaggieD]

65. #thesystemhereisrigged

IOKIYABSS.

[AgingAmerican]

74. AKA the conspiracy of shooting themselves in the foot

[beam me up scottie]

75. Stop persecuting them!

[MaggieD]

43. Me? Did you go and tell that person posting stuff today from the Daily Caller

... that right wing links shouldn't be posted here? I sure didn't notice if you did. Did you just not get around to it, or is your outrage only confined to telling the truth about Bernie?

[beam me up scottie]

45. Ah, still trying to deflect from the fact that you linked to a racist tea party website in your op.

More proof of your extreme hypocrisy.

[AgingAmerican]

66. More like to a Fart Form

[beam me up scottie]

67. * clutches pearls, swoons, alerts on post*

[MaggieD]

41. My own link discusses that he can't keep that promise without releasing violent felons

Or did you fail to read it?

[MaggieD]

37. Yes, name calling is against the TOS

And I would like to demonstrate that the system here is rigged. I did it earlier today as well. And the results were just as I suspected for a person that called someone a liar.

And how the hell I am "alert stalking" - did I invade his brain and force him to respond to my post calling me a hypocrite when he demonstrably wrong? I don't think so.

[beam me up scottie]

42. You just admitted you keep alerting on Bernie supporters - that's alert stalking.

That makes you a hypocrite, again.

And it's not against the tos to call a hypocrite a hypocrite or to point out when someone is lying.

[MaggieD]

44. I alerted because the poster called me a name and that is a TOS violation

Not that I really give a shit since it's not exactly rare here. But it certainly serves to show IOKIYABSS.

[beam me up scottie]

48. Calling a hypocrite a hypocrite is not against the tos.

You just don't like it because it's true.

Too bad your alert failed, what a shame.

[MaggieD]

53. So you're on MIRT, right?

Are you saying I can go around calling people hypocrites and never get a hide? What's YOUR opinion as a moderator? LOL!

Meanwhile, this gets a hide today, because it's a Hillary supporter. http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251880826#post51

#thesystemhereisrigged ... and everybody knows it.

[beam me up scottie]

54. You get your posts hidden all the time for all kinds of reasons, imo the jury usually gets it right.

What does MIRT have to do with this? And get your facts straight, there are no moderators on DU3.

Oy.

One needs to have a functioning conscience to feel shame.

Looks like your associate got her post hidden for claiming someone they disagree with doesn't have a conscience.

Good hide, looks like the jurors got it right again.

[MaggieD]

57. Like what?

Reminding people that Bernie wrote a fascinating essay? Or pointing out how you guys flip out about right wing links, but never if Bernie supporters use them?

How about this. Why don't you go find a post of mine that was hidden and let's discuss. Are you game? You seem to know all about them. Wanna play? Bring it on. Should be fun.

[beam me up scottie]

61. And let your histrionics continue to distract from the issue? Not a chance.

[MaggieD]

62. Nothing? You got nothing?

I'm hysterical with laughter.

[Warren Stupidity]

51. At least get the terminology right.

Calling a hypocrite a hypocrite is not a TOS violation. It *might* be a violation of community standards, but that would be up to a jury.

[AgingAmerican]

35. No he didn't say that he would release violent felons, another blatant lie

You have zero integrity

[MaggieD]

39. I said EITHER he is shining you on OR he will release violent felons

The data shows (as the article discusses) that is the ONLY way he can meet his promise.

So which is it? Please explain how he meets his promise without releasing violent felons. Thanks in advance.

[AgingAmerican]

76. Neither. He will end the drug war

And get rid of prison for profit AND their lobbying for long prison sentences. It's that simple.

You made up your interpretation out of whole cloth.

[Warren Stupidity]

47. FYI.

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service
On Mon Dec 7, 2015, 08:20 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

Hillary says the same thing
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=882560

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Calling a poster a hypocrite is uncivil. Don't let stand just because the person supports Bernie.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Mon Dec 7, 2015, 08:29 PM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Dear alerter: Stop wasting our time with your petty schoolyard scraps over petty remarks. This is the segregated Primaries forum. It is segregated because most people can't stand this sort of crap. Tip: try taking a break and just quit looking to the community to settle your childish slap fights. We have a monster in Trump, a crisis with ISIS, cops killing citizens, and THIS is what you worry about? Stop it.

And grow up.


Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: It's just a fact.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: It's an insult. Hide it.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This was alerted on?

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[loyalsister]

12. Not new

Since 1865 the only condition under which slavery is constitutional via the 13th Amendment.

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

[rhett o rick]

16. Granted but Prisons For Profit have exacerbated the problem. nm

[arcane1]

26. Leading to the use of "Convict Leasing", a thing so horrible in was used as propaganda in WWII

Propaganda against us.

[tazkcmo]

34. Thank you.

All my life I thought I had learned that prison labor was illegal here. The only thing stronger than the humbling of the sudden awareness of my ignorance is the pleasure in having been educated. Thank you so much for posting this. You helped me grow today!

[loyalsister]

68. I just learned recently myself

It was very jarring to discover that abolition is a myth. It changed my outlook a great deal, and motivated me to work against racism.

[rhett o rick]

79. Prison labor is a good way to bust unions also. nm

[George II]

15. Sanders voted for them. I don't know if he's still in favor of them, but he may be because....

.....he never changes position.

[restorefreedom]

20. all three dems need to come out strong against

the prison industrial complex. i'm sure ellen has a good MOM link to this effect. bernie wants to close private prisons. hillary needs to come out on this so all three are united.

one of the many many articles about bernie and private prisons

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/bernie_sanders_its_time_to_put_an_end_to_private_prisons_20151012

[99Forever]

46. 'Cept for that inconvenient little fact...

... of all the the $ Clinton has taken from The Private Prison peeps.

But what the hell? Talk's cheap, right?

[restorefreedom]

69. if she did what bernie did with the pharm money

and donated an equivalent amount of their contributions to the SPLC or some similar organization, I would be impressed. not holding my breath though

[beam me up scottie]

71. I think they mean she should donate the money like Bernie did.

Remember when he gave Pharma-bro's donation to a free clinic that treats AIDs patients?

[restorefreedom]

72. yes that is what i was thinking :) nt

[WillyT]

55. K & R !!!

[beam me up scottie]

64. K & R. Ignore the sideshow, folks, this is an important issue.

[Live and Learn]

73. K&R Thank you for highlighting a very important issue. nt