Guest Column: Didn’t Do The Crime? Well, They’ll Still Make The Dime

By Alexandra Taylor. While I was travelling in the U.S., I’d really wanted to learn more about the privatized prison system in the United States in regards to how it has changed American society and the morals on which the country was founded.

Private prisons seem to have created an odd prison-industrial-military complex where, in addition to the bastardization of the capitalist economic theory/model that’s so desperately clung on to by the 1%, have created an atmosphere where justice and punishment mean little, lawbreaking amongst the law makers and law enforcers runs rampant, and the legal and social under- representation of economically disadvantaged people accused of a crime they may or may not have committed can be thrown in prison simply to increase the numbers of inmates purely for profit.

Didn’t do the crime? Well, they’re still making dime. While the worst criminals are the ones robbing their own citizens blind under the guise of the free market system, and invading other countries and murdering innocent people and their own soldiers in wars for increased wealth and assets. A society where the worst have the most wealth and power and walk free.

I am interested in America’s privatized prison system and the impacts its had on their society, because the way things are going, Harper will make a move to privatize ours before he and the rest of the Tories are through. Even if we can’t stop it for some reason, we have to at least be armed with knowledge and have some measure of foresight. I really hope that our future doesn’t read: “Privately operated mega super-prisons: now in Canada! Coming to a province near you!”

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2 Comments

1. 

   Sue Stroud

   April 7, 2012 at 9:08 am

   Good piece, in fact the private prison company Harper has already chosen was lobbying MPs to pass Harper’s crime bill (i.e. to create fodder for their prisons). Remember that privatisation always costs you more; more social costs, more financial costs, more unknown costs that crop up unexpectedly. And when it’s no longer good for business, they will jusr abandon it and walk away.

   Reply
2. 

   Alexandra Taylor

   April 7, 2012 at 11:38 am

   Thank you for the compliment on the piece, Sue. It’s truly frightening to think about the prospect of this happening in Canada. Unfortunately, I believe that it will happen by the time the Crime Minister’s crime spree is over in 2015. Someone should lock him and the rest of the Tories up for crimes against Canadians!

   Reply