The Sheer Size Of The Prison System - 910 Words

The sheer size of the prison system lends itself to many layers of profiteering. As many as 90% of jails charge prisoners various fees during their incarceration. These fees range from charges for medical care, booking, transportation--even housing fees, among others. In fact, in order to pay for the fees assessed by the prison, the friends and family members that send money to prisoners have to pay exorbitant fees, as high as 45%. Some of the largest banks, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, are able to profit from this exploitive practice because they have a monopoly on money transfers to prisoners which they obtained through no bid government contracts. Corizon, America’s largest prison healthcare contractor, earns about $1.4 billion in revenue annually. They’re able to maximize their profits, in a predictable manner, by neglecting the services that are expected of them. For example, they refuse to treat Hepatitis C. â€Å"We save money because we skip the ambulance and bring them right to the morgue,† says Diane Jackson, nurse for Corizon. There is also a $1.2 billion market for the few companies which contract for prison inmate phone calls. Those calls are charged at rates far above market prices, as much as $17 for a 15 minute call. Plenty of corporations also profit from extremely cheap prison labor. Prison laborers are typically paid about $1 an hour. Many are paid nothing, but they can earn time off of their sentence. There are obvious ethical questionsShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Effects Of Prison Overcrowding1524 Words   |  7 PagesPrison Overcrowding is a topic that isn’t brought up much in the media. However, it’s one that should be addressed more than it is. Overcrowding puts Correctional Officer’s safety at risk as well as the safety of inmates. There must be a way to reduce the number of inmates or possibly build additional prisons. Prison overcrowding has many negative effects ranging from sickness, to even death. The first article I want to discuss is â€Å"Underfunded, Overcrowded State Prisons Struggle With Reform†. OnRead MoreSociologists Are Angry And You Should Be Too : Reflection On Readings Essay1747 Words   |  7 Pagesthe realities of living in this country. The American systems of government and business are working against almost everyone that is not a wealthy, cisgender, heterosexual, white male. This paper will be covering themes discussed in Max Weber’s â€Å"Class, Status, Party†, C. Wright Mills’ â€Å"The Power Elite†, G. William Domhoff’s â€Å"Who Rules America† and Bruce Western’s â€Å"Incarceration, Unemployment and Inequality† to express how the established system of the United States of America is stacked against womenRead MoreRacism And The Criminal Justice System1739 Words   |  7 PagesWith so many news stories and incidents surrounding the topic of race and the police these days, it is not surprisi ng for people to come to the conclusion that racism may exist within the criminal justice system. We will be taking a deeper look into the problem to find out what other possible determinants may play a role in deciding how an officer makes an arrest or stop and continue to analyze what is happening in those contexts. The issues surrounding the topic of race is like the two faces ofRead MoreVicious And Dangerous Sports The Olympic Games1274 Words   |  6 Pagesand watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of the sporting spirit is sheer hypocrisy-(Ð »Ã ¸Ã'†Ð µÃ ¼Ã µÃ'€Ð ¸Ã µ). People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions ofRead MoreIn Defense of Liberty and Education for All1626 Words   |  7 Pageseducation has become too commonplace and that the prestige and honor of higher learning has diminished. Essentially, he thinks the American society has allowed too many unqualified people a chance to earn a degree and he criticizes the public educational system in order to bring back elitism in education. In America, the number of students achieving University education has grown substantially in recent decades. Henry has noticed this trend in America and that Half a century ago, a high school diplomaRead MoreThe Shawshank Redemption Essays3087 Words   |  13 PagesThomas Newman and is filled with impressive acting, especially from Morgan Freeman (Red). However, possibly the most imposing character in the film, is the oppressive Shawshank State Prison itself, which looms in every scene. The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, survival and most importantly hope. â€Å"Fear can hold you prisonerRead More The Ethics of Prison Privatization2393 Words   |  10 PagesHow true is Christie’s warning that an increasingly privatized penal service threatens the ethics and effectiveness of the criminal justice system? More aspects of the penal system are now privatized, and are set to increase. This includes the privatization of such services as prisons, electronic tags, catering companies, probation work or prison escort services. David Taylor-Smith, head of the world’s biggest security firm, G4S says he expects private companies will be running large parts ofRead More-In Furtado Et Al.’S (2010) Article On Collective Intelligence1690 Words   |  7 Pagesagencies to collect and analyze information from a larger sample size and address crimes that are problematic for being under-reported. One main of the issues that they discussed in regards to using online mass collaborations is the lack of credibility that comes with relying on anonymous sources. One can simply address this issue by programing algorithms and pattern recognition programs to verify sources and/or implementing a reputation system where continued accuracy and validity can promote anonymousRead MoreOverpopulation Is A Serious Problem1442 Words   |  6 Pagesbillion, India’s population is projected to soar from 930 million to 1.53 billion (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Population Division 5). In the Middle East and North Africa, the population is expected to more than double its size, and in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is expected to triple (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Population Division 14). Thomas Robert Malthus was one of the first to study population. Malthus stated that when a population eventuallyRead MoreImportance Of Federalism And How The United States Structure Is Based Upon This Form Of Government2428 Words   |  10 Pagespolicies in regards to an assortment of public matters, as well as learning about various contemporary public policy issues and various interest groups that provide support for legislative reform. Federalism Policy Restraint Foremost, federalism is â€Å"a system of government in which power is shared between a central or federal government and other governments, such as states or provinces† (Birkland, 2011, p. 61). The U.S. Constitution possesses this structure of government that permits authority (power)