The
PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (the PIC) is the interaction of all the interests
who help expand the prison system, some intentionally, some coincidentally,
but all for reasons other than our safety and justice. Most of them influence
prison growth for reasons of their own profit: some profit in terms of
cash-$$, others in terms of political power, control of resources and
property, or good TV ratings. Some profit from the business of imprisonment,
others from having people out of their way, "criminalized" and
locked up. It's a system where profit is more important than people; where
people are split along the lines of race, gender & culture so that their
labor, resources & power can be exploited and monopolized, and prisons
make invisible the damage done along the way. Is it a conspiracy? It doesn't
have to be -- as this chart shows, each group's own interests are set
up to GROW...
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