this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2024
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A Boring Dystopia

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Across the United States, hundreds of jails have eliminated in-person family visits over the last decade. Why has this happened? The answer highlights a profound flaw in how decisions too often get made in our legal system: for-profit jail telecom companies realized that they could earn more profit from phone and video calls if jails eliminated free in-person visits for families. So the companies offered sheriffs and county jails across the country a deal: if you eliminate family visits, we'll give you a cut of the increased profits from the larger number of calls. This led to a wave across the country, as local jails sought to supplement their budgets with hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from some of the poorest families in our society.

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[–] [email protected] 103 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Prisoners shouldn't need to pay to talk with their families. We claim that our system is intended for rehabilitation. What could possibly lead to better outcomes than the ability to keep in touch with your family; to be made to feel human while serving your sentence? The US justice system is a fucking joke and for-profit prison shareholders are the only ones laughing.

Incarceration should have no profit motive, regardless of whether that profit motive benefits a for-profit company and its shareholders or the local Sheriff's department.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 year ago (3 children)

We claim that our system is intended for rehabilitation.

News to me, I did not know you guys claimed that.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's what our politicians claim the system is for. It's obviously not, but that's the claim.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago

From an outsider view I did not even know that your politicians claimed that, I thought it was just a few more hopeful ones saying it should be that. I always assumed it was common knowledge that the system in the US was for punishment and whatnot first. Might just be me seeing the movie "Tank!" as a child.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They only say so to those of us who are aghast at the cruelty and don’t take “but bad people” for an answer

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[–] [email protected] 94 points 1 year ago (18 children)

The answer highlights a profound flaw in how decisions too often get made in our legal system

The fact that the author, despite them providing all of this evidence to the contrary, still thinks (or is at least reporting) that this is a bug, not a feature, is absolutely enraging.

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[–] [email protected] 69 points 1 year ago

Reminder that prisons are slavery with extra steps

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago

This country is just pure evil.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (14 children)

Wow, so when they enjoyed unlimited power, they.... Abused it!?

People now a days are really off the rails man. Back in the day, absolute power didn't corrupt. It only tickled. Slightly.

/s

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

John brown might disagree.

Could use more in the abolition movement like him.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lol America as usual.

What a joke of a country - so many horrible decisions in one place.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Breaking news: Making the correctional system a business venture was a bad idea. More at 8.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

its almost as if denationalization/privatization is almost always a bad idea.

Just look at whats happens to the Thames in London.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I read about this in Cory Doctorow's The Bezzle. I'm surprised it didn't get more traction in the press.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

You are? Challenging the status quo isn’t really the press’ thing anymore—or, like, ever.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Indescribable pain to those responsible.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

commodifying things that can't be made in a factory is always a mistake.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I don’t believe in carceral justice but those who abuse prisoners deserve to join their victims.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This came up in a John Oliver episode about prison labour, this episode I think: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AjqaNQ018zU

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

this dude rock. he talk about social problem in the fun way.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

After Trevor Noah left The Daily Show and Colbert started pandering to liberal middle-aged white women after his move to CBS, I feel like Oliver is the only bearable talk show host on network television these days.

Honorable mention to Kimmel, though. He's not a revolutionary, but he's pretty funny.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (4 children)

another article on more broken campaign promises by Biden and prosecutor Harris

even though the Democrats and Republicans both are responsible for this mess the Democrats are likely to blame Republicans and try to raise funds off it

works every time

[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Please cite the campaign promise that applies here?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Can't we just be pissed off that the federal government is allowing this to happen? I know OP specifically called out campaign promises, but they absolutely could and should fix this, congress and the executive branch don't care.

It is absolutely on them that this is still a thing even if OP is misdirecting.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago

Totally still pissed. Just not down with people exploiting that emotion to spread misinformation

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago

The article mentions a lot of county jails, but are federal prisons doing this? I'm pretty sure the executive branch isn't in charge of county jails.

I think the supreme Court could probably decide that this is cruel and unusual punishment. Or that Congress could pass a federal law setting regulations for local jails.

I'm not a jail expert, but this sounds like something Biden has no control over.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Looks to me like you're a republican trying to blame democrats.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

No point in fighting over it. Both major parties have contributed to the profit prison system, and Biden undeniably did by championing the regressive 94 Crime Bill.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Yes, but seeing as they make so many mistakes, it's important to hold them to things they actually did. Not just make up stuff.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

I wasn't fighting over it, I was just name calling. You know, saying it like it is.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Looks to me like you're so indoctrinated by to the two party system that you can't even fathom that someone might hate both parties (because they 100% serve the same people and goals), and hell, the system in its entirety.. 🙄

Gotta love an "enlightened" centrist lol

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Not really about an endorsement of the two-party system. When you go to the gas pump and see a picture of biden's face with an I did that sticker, it's a pretty safe bet that the person who put that up is a Republican.

Likewise, when you see someone criticizing the Biden administration for things that county jails are doing, safe bet it's a Republican.

But apparently your definition of enlightened centerists includes people who know what the executive branch actually controls.

Biden doesn't have a gas price dial on his desk, and doesn't set visitation policies for county jails.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I' m from a country with a 20+ party system, so I can imagine quite well. Also, US centrist is far right over here.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Another worthless comment by a political troll.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago

Jpay.com is what I used when I went to jail.

A literal captive consumer. Capitalists wet dream come true. Just think of the returns if this model could be expanded! Disrupting the economy by disrupting your freedom.

They're not trying to build a prison for you and me, they already have.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

All these profit farming scams for prisons should be criminal conduct. It's sickening how little the public cares about systemic abuse of prisoners.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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