Incarceration as a form of vengeance

[Carmen]

Thanks for replying to me. I interact with people here and also with Americans on a horsey forum and they are some of the kindest, most thoughtful people I have ever met. This to me is humanities 'natural' way of being. This dreadful violence is a learned, conditioned 'dog eat dog' response deliberately brought on by television, poverty, drugs, hopelessness and a total lack of quality, loving parenting! our education systems are mind dumbingly boring. No kids are taught how to think for themselves, just how to regurgitate someone else's second or third hand ideas. Kids have a huge, active, creative energy that just has to express, to move physically. They shouldn't be made to sit still for hours on end with no outlet for that energy. Yet kids don't have freedom of movement anymore, they are so often now confined to houses and maybe backyards. Sport remains one of there outlets thank goodness, but actuall freedom to play and express away from home is not an option in many cities and countries. Man, when I think of the freedom I had to roam as a kid!! I think I was very fortunate. I'd be gone all day and my parents wouldn't have a clue where I was, but I was just fine being with my friends or roaming the city or countryside on my pony! Flying kites we made ourselves, making carts and pushing them round the streets. We had just plain fun and the streets were our playground. We also knew and visited all our neighbours. All adults looked out for all kids! I am thankful that I live in the country where my grand kids can roam free and explore nature. No television either! That is such a tool of violent conditioning and mind control and poor wee kids are plonked in front of that in a mindless trance for hours. Talk about a perfect tool to produce violence and criminality!! Well I've had my rant.

[Ernie Nemeth]

Great responses! Although I think that the proper perspective should be remembered.

Firstly, this society is so full of contradictions that holding together a coherent "system" in which people can "thrive" "spins off" an equal amount of injustice. This "injustice" as society sees it is addressed by our laws and upheld by our "justice system". It is easier to incarcerate than to address the inequities built into the "system". If examples are still needed then perhaps Rahkyt's reference to the injustices still visited on the African American is easiest to see. So I refer you to his excellent post above.

Secondly, the proposition to "kill" a "crimminal" as the only recourse to breaking the laws of society is meant as a crude and blunt reminder of those very contradictions inherent in the system. If a person resorts to selling drugs to provide for his or her family because they have no other recourse to lucrative employ, is that worthy of incarceration? If a person steals from a store to feed their children, is that worthy of jail time? Instead, now, in this scenario and with only two options, which do they deserve?

In our society at this present time the first is evil incarnate for providing drugs to people who are vulnerable. The second should simply line up at the food bank or soup kitchen and wait for their handout. Both are guilty of not developing a marketable skill with which to provide for their families - and deserve the full weight of "justice" to descend upon them. They are the "losers", the "lazy", the "degenerates"...the "guilty" - the "flawed". They took the "easy" way out and now must bear the "punishment" their errors require.

And if the second option, that of rehabilitation, is chosen just how far down that rabbit hole are we willing to go? For that rabbit hole is what is discussed in the threads on this site, are they not?

Is it difficult to see that such a discussion, the very need of rehabilitation itself, points to the "dirty secrets" we all gloss over in our worldviews? Wars, economic sanctions (both global and local), the financial system, class, race, creed, color, who you know (or "who you blow"), and a host of other equally inappropriate distinctions that serve as the stratification of the masses results in anything but "justice".

That is what this discusion should focus on. Not how one innocent person might be "killed" but that we are all innocent and deserve better than the fear of torture to keep us toeing the line in a system that is anything but "fair".

Very, very, very few people deserve to be "killed" for their crimes, if any. No one deserves to be imprisoned. And the "system" certainly needs to address its inequities. That is justice. That leads to freedom and liberty for all.

[sdv]

Not how one innocent person might be "killed" but that we are all innocent and deserve better than the fear of torture to keep us toeing the line in a system that is anything but "fair".

I doin't know the answer, but I do sense that this is the 'right' question to ask.

[the_vast_mystery]

The entire criminal justice system functions on mass hypocrisy. It cannot ever be fair or impartial (as humans cannot be 100% fair or impartial, let alone with the police militarization and insider cultures promoted by their "Internal Affairs" style of handling misconduct.) but to function it requires it be sold as both of these things. (So that the governed will trust the system enough to turn over evidence to it and cooperate with it.) Our social institutions are all built on contradictions just like these. Worse, to maintain the contradictions we allow government to propagandize and lie about the virtues of these systems under the guise of "state secrets" and other odious national security language to keep just how dysfunctional our system is out of the public eye so that people will still continue to trust/use it.

This is why I'm sure police misconduct is handled how it is. Because if everyone regularly heard about Law Enforcement's screwups they'd probably never trust it.

[Mulder]

Posted by sdv (here)
I admit that I have no research or evidence to back up this claim, but ... I think that there are 'humans' walking this planet that are without a soul or have something missing (and, yes, 'white' science is putting a lot of effort into trying to find an answer) and that no rehabilitation is possible.


Perhaps the answer is to consult all that we know to evaluate if a person is a threat to society, and if so, to remove that person from society but to uphold our, hopefully, values in treating those people well.

These people without souls are called Psychopaths. They are around 4% of the population & are equally male & female (but female psychopaths are sometimes more underhand e.g. will marry an old man and poison him for his money), according to Thomas Sheridan

[Ki's]

Posted by Ernie Nemeth (here)
Robert, your suggestion sounds very much like what Britain did centuries ago with its crimminals - send them to Australia! That seems to have worked itself out quite nicely...

It is a case in point, and not far off what I am advocating - either kill them or rehabilitate them for real. What I was trying to suggest is that this is not a question of crimminals, it is a question of our intent. Do we truly want to make things better or do we want to sweep the entire issue under the rug? If the options are "black and white" as I recommend then we are given a choice that reflects our true intentions. If we kill them, what we are really saying is that our system is screwed up and we don't care to fix it. If we try to rehabilitate the criminal we would actually have to address the issues that made them criminals in the first place. And that is the point.

Our system is, and has always been, unfair and inequitable. But, by having a penal system in place we can ignore the problems and go on with "business as usual". At least with a choice of death or rehab we would confront our own demons and deal with issues that for far too long have been ignored.

In america, fully 80% of inmates are from the lower third of the economic spectrum, 70% are non-whites, and 65% (or there-abouts) are drug-related. Only some 30% are there for violent crimes and very few for murder or sex-offenses. Canada is not much better. Here, crime has been dropping for well over a decade - yet the sudden need for "super jails" as espoused by the neo-cons? Makes anyone with a mind that still functions to stop and wonder why.

Most of the time, offenders are those that have come from troubled homes, with parents either physically or psychologically absent. This means that what they lacked was love (primarily), respect, fairness, compassion, mentorship and a firm and understanding role-model. Exactly what is missing in society in general...

Also, where would you suggest we place these unwanted and disruptive elements of society? The question is rhetorical, since there is no place left on earth. Oh, and by the way, if there was such a place a lot of people besides the offenders would opt to join them - I would. At least there you'd know where you stand and you could live a short but authentic life, not the pablum-fed, robot-like, automaton congruity forced upon us in this modern world.

This world is heading towards the gas-chamber of Nazi fame, just like Mulder says, and I'm not paying for the ride. Give me real solutions (freedom) or give me death! (forget who said that, not good with quotes) is an apt way of putting it.

I'm not into vengeance as a deterrent...

"Give me liberty or give me death" Patrick Henry

[Mark]

Not only are the ones without souls called psychopaths, they are also called organic portals.

Great points in your follow up, Ernie. Whew, this is a difficult topic.

In our society at this present time the first is evil incarnate for providing drugs to people who are vulnerable. The second should simply line up at the food bank or soup kitchen and wait for their handout. Both are guilty of not developing a marketable skill with which to provide for their families - and deserve the full weight of "justice" to descend upon them. They are the "losers", the "lazy", the "degenerates"...the "guilty" - the "flawed". They took the "easy" way out and now must bear the "punishment" their errors require.

And if the second option, that of rehabilitation, is chosen just how far down that rabbit hole are we willing to go? For that rabbit hole is what is discussed in the threads on this site, are they not?

That formulation right there? LOL That perspective is the entire difference between Left and Right. I'm glad you started out with "In our society at this present time ... "

Of course you are familiar with all of the counter arguments.

[Ernie Nemeth]

I would like to take this further but I'd be remiss if I did not point out that Songsoftheotherkind has started a thread on heteronomy/autonomy that is exactly what I was pointing towards, in my slow and stumbling manner. here

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...eally&p=507727

[spiritguide]

Just run across this item and it fits this thread's essence......



Makes ya think..

[Ernie Nemeth]

What is this? Gift day?

I am honored by your contribution. Thank you.

So simple, so direct, so profound.

Spiritguide, thanks so much.

Respect - and gratitude,
and Love!

[spiritguide]

Posted by Ernie Nemeth (here)
What is this? Gift day?

I am honored by your contribution. Thank you.

So simple, so direct, so profound.

Spiritguide, thanks so much.

Respect - and gratitude,
and Love!

Your welcome brother! The ancestors knew and their wisdom is not necessarily bound in a book. It's there for all to see in the Creation which we are all a part of.

[sunnyrap]

Love this discussion because I agree prisons are utterly inhumane, stupid and ultimately valueless.

BTW, I live in a 'prison town', meaning there are 7 prisons here and so are the largest employer in the county. I know many people who have worked for the prisons for many years. They agree that at least 70% of the prisoner population don't really belong there, they are the victims of wrongful conviction or specious 'laws' or just have bad environments to deal with. And these opinions are made by psychiatric professionals. 20-25% are probably very mentally ill and need humane attention, 5-10% are incorrigible and unreachable and prison is the only place they could live without killing or being killed. But prisons as they are mostly administered shouldn't exist. They are simply forced labor camps in which employees get no vacation, no overtime, poor food, the cheapest most uncomfortable housing and marginal health care (though my friends, medical professionals, state some would get no care at all if they weren't there).

(Begin personal rant): I was fuming today because my son got tapped out for a seat belt violation and given a whopping fine. I've been stopped twice for tiny 'infractions' )(one tail light bulb burned out while I was driving, a $175 fine-); not putting on my turn signal at a right on red intersection) when crime is running rampant throughout the county from rape, pedophilia, violence, drug trafficking to increased breakins and armed robbery. Police would rather write easy tickets than risk themselves in the more serious situations --probably because they are inadequately staffed and equipped. They are ramping up efforts to 'catch' and fine violations in order to keep the county funded. This in an area where the employment ads comprise one 4 inch column in the local paper and wages (except for prison and medical workers) are 90% at minimum wage level and unemployment is high. Near as I can tell, the prisons don't contribute to the tax base and there is no other significant industry here besides the medical industry--so police prey on the populace like vampires for their life-blood. The two junior colleges are set up to crank out law enforcement workers, medical support people and clerical people. Period. Not the world I wish to inhabit....(End of rant)

I've now determined a critical mass of us need to master the legal system and fight this situation legally, as a number of astute types have successfully done. It has gotten completely damaging to all of us.

[Maia Gabrial]

I have another idea that might sound better than killing or locking people up. I believe Humanity has faced this very same "punishment" during the cavemen days. And sound was used....

What's worse than being locked up and all your freedoms taken away? IMO having your memories completely erased. No knowledge of who you were. No language between anyone. No technologies or living comforts. And your dna being reduced to 2 strands....Then having to figure out how to survive without ANY of that. This would mean starting from ground zero in everything.... The world would be very hostile in that kind of situation, don't you think? No one would be put to death, unless they failed to fight for their own survival.

In time, IF they changed their ways, they'd get a reprieve....

I'm hoping that most of us will get those reprieves....

[Ernie Nemeth]

I'm ready for my reprieve...

[Jackson]

Yes....what a great article. Well timed also.

I have a grandson that became caught up in the system (aged 21) Had a good job and was promoted twice, doing well. He was abducted by three men and taken to a condo and where the older man tried to rape him. He was very intoxicated (by them). He made his way into kitchen when to man attacked him again and tried to defend himself with a steak knife that was on the kitchen counter. The attacker was stabbed 6 times by my grandson and when the two other men came down from the bedroom, they maced my grandson and called 911. The police naturally took the side of the victim and tried to make it a hate crime by trying to get my grandson to admit he did because the man was gay. We hired a private detective to look into this man's past and discovered that he had done this type of thing several times and had not been prosecuted for even one event. The man's defense was that he didn't remember anything at all and the other two men didn't witness the event so it was my grandson's word against theirs. The court wouldn't allow any of his past events to be admitted in a trial so we had to accept a plea bargain. My grandson was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault 3 and gave him 18 months in prison and he is now a felon and certain rights are denied him. My anger was in the fact that they really didn't want to look any further into the crime and didn't charge the other two with kidnapping. It was the perfect storm. Victim couldn't remember, my grandson admitted that he had stabbed the man (never in any trouble before this) but was attacked again and fearful for his life, and the prosecutor was up for re-election and campaigned that he had put all these people in prison and they wouldn't be a bother (so re-elect me, I am doing a great job) and said to our lawyer that he would not accept anything except prison. The judge was sympathetic but his hands were tied if the prosecutor wouldn't relent as this was a high profile case in this small community and he wanted to stay another four years. I learned then that the justice system in not your friend and it is all about filling the prisons. They really don't want to hear the truth. My solace is that the man didn't die and is a miserable unhappy human and will never find any happiness in this lifetime. I also understand that past karma played a big part in this and was playing out between the two. Hopefully they won't have to come back and play it out further.

Kind of related....hope I didn't hijack your thread but felt it was appropriate....

Jackson

[GrnEggsNHam]

Posted by Jackson (here)
Yes....what a great article. Well timed also.

I have a grandson that became caught up in the system (aged 21) Had a good job and was promoted twice, doing well. He was abducted by three men and taken to a condo and where the older man tried to rape him. He was very intoxicated (by them). He made his way into kitchen when to man attacked him again and tried to defend himself with a steak knife that was on the kitchen counter. The attacker was stabbed 6 times by my grandson and when the two other men came down from the bedroom, they maced my grandson and called 911. The police naturally took the side of the victim and tried to make it a hate crime by trying to get my grandson to admit he did because the man was gay. We hired a private detective to look into this man's past and discovered that he had done this type of thing several times and had not been prosecuted for even one event. The man's defense was that he didn't remember anything at all and the other two men didn't witness the event so it was my grandson's word against theirs. The court wouldn't allow any of his past events to be admitted in a trial so we had to accept a plea bargain. My grandson was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault 3 and gave him 18 months in prison and he is now a felon and certain rights are denied him. My anger was in the fact that they really didn't want to look any further into the crime and didn't charge the other two with kidnapping. It was the perfect storm. Victim couldn't remember, my grandson admitted that he had stabbed the man (never in any trouble before this) but was attacked again and fearful for his life, and the prosecutor was up for re-election and campaigned that he had put all these people in prison and they wouldn't be a bother (so re-elect me, I am doing a great job) and said to our lawyer that he would not accept anything except prison. The judge was sympathetic but his hands were tied if the prosecutor wouldn't relent as this was a high profile case in this small community and he wanted to stay another four years. I learned then that the justice system in not your friend and it is all about filling the prisons. They really don't want to hear the truth. My solace is that the man didn't die and is a miserable unhappy human and will never find any happiness in this lifetime. I also understand that past karma played a big part in this and was playing out between the two. Hopefully they won't have to come back and play it out further.

Kind of related....hope I didn't hijack your thread but felt it was appropriate....

Jackson

I am currently appealing a ludicrous sentence myself. I was charged with reckless driving(102mph in a 65mph zone) in 2012 in a county 2 hours away from where I live and work(had the job for 3 weeks when this happened). I faxed a letter of continuance to the court citing my inability to attend. The day of the hearing I called to see when my new hearing date was. I was informed my continuance was thrown out due to me not being there and a bench warrant was issued for my arrest. What!? Ok, whatever people I will go on with my life. I just stopped driving and took public transport or biked/walked everywhere. Here I am in 2015 expecting my first child in a month and we just purchased our first home. My wife whom I married in 2014 wants me to clear my name of the warrant before our child is born. So 3 months ago I took off work and turned myself in. Posted bail and received my arraignment date. I then took off work again and went to my arraignment. I was denied a lawyer because I make too much money. I was told to represent myself or obtain one on my own. I can't afford a lawyer so I had to ask my mommy to pay for one. Good thing I did because if I hadn't I would be in jail right now with no job. 2 weeks ago I go to my hearing and I receive a sentence of 25 days jail time(90 days suspended license) for reckless driving and failure to appear for my first hearing(the one I faxed the continuance in for). No serving on weekends just straight to jail and I was in handcuffs. The lawyer filed my appeal and I was released. I know driving at that speed is not safe and I was ready to accept a reasonable punishment for a victimless crime. Honestly a fine and a suspended license is all that is necessary but instead I get days in jail? Meaning I will lose my job for sure... It's incredibly sad but my only hope is that the judge at my appeal hearing allows me to serve the time on the weekends. But even that brings up ridiculous circumstances. Like how am I supposed to get to the jail that is 2 hours away when I cannot drive? In the US we do not have reliable public transit to go between these smaller counties/towns. I made an error in judgement while driving. I should've slowed down and gotten behind the line of 18-wheelers when I saw the lane is ending sign. Instead I sped up to that 100mph speed and got in front of them an a cop just happened to be hiding during that .25-.35 mile stretch. For that mistake I will now likely lose my job and subsequently my house because with my license suspended I won't be able to get a job with a similar salary as my current. Apparently this is justice...

My apologies for also derailing this topic and posting my pity party.

[Ernie Nemeth]

No need for apologies. The op is a trigger for sure.

We have abrogated our sovereign right to see justice done for ourselves. Instead we have allowed a bunch of elite, high paid, out of touch with the rest of humanity sociopaths with a misguided superiority complex to mete out justice to us riff raff. So of course they are harsh and lacking compassion and fairness - they live, breath, and ruminate way up high in their ivory towers - the view is rosy from on high...

[Chester]

Posted by Hervé (here)
Corroboration of sorts to Carmody's post # 2 above through the "Orion Model" as explained by Alex Collier:

Orion model

One of Alex Collier's interviews by Robert Stanley who yanked those interviews off his website...


Alex Collier interview, 2011-10-27
http://kiwi6.com/file/f8s5019nne


Welcome to a new episode of Unicus Radio, I am your host Robert Stanley we have a special guest, our friend Alex Collier.

“ …our ancient ancestors, the Sumerians, the Egyptians they all had full knowledge of our cousins. They often saw them in the air, they had some forms of interaction between them and humanity on a relatively frequent basis. The Mayans, the Aztecs also have the same stories of being with the gods and you know, agriculture, horticulture, manufacturing were all taught to our ancestors. It’s after, really, the sinking of Atlantis and then the last pole shift that occurred which was caused by the Anunaki where everything kind of went black, and then what we have basically, we have all these legends on this as we are taught but are in fact based on actual history. Now, as far as the freeing of the galaxy…

“I am gona tell you what I have been told.

“’For the most part, most of the galaxy is pretty civilized, ok. It’ really matured, it’s coming to its own. But there are some areas, mostly on the outskirts, where it’s still pretty [much] considered “jungle.” But that’s changing rapidly as well. Now, if you remember when I first started speaking, the Andromedans, Moreney and Faceyas, had said that tyranny showed up in our galaxy in the future and they had come back in time to find out what was going on and they had narrowed it down – not just the As but several groups or teams that were part of the Adromedan council -- had come back and had focused it to this particular area of our solar system.

“Now, we have some really bad elements here. They are not just here but in this kind of sector, this part of our galaxy. Some are in our solar system, obviously, and some are directly underneath us. But some are also inhabiting some of the other planets and moons in our solar system.

05:00
“Basically this was like a free zone. This was an area where nobody paid attention to. And it's because of that that this rogue element was drawn here because they felt like they could do whatever the hell they wanted to do. In essence you could say this was like a lure to them. This area that nobody gives a sh*t about, that’s where we go, that’s where we hide. Like pirates would do.

“So, they come here en masse, in numbers, not only physically but dimensionally. The dimensional part, doors were opened for them so they could actually come in and now basically what you have now is that you have this cesspool of just renegades who for the most part have all their own agendas. They may have different agendas, but none of those agendas are really about the betterment and welfare of the natives. It’s all about what can we get for ourselves. And humanity has mirrored this as well, you know, in our history.

“So, now, what we have is that the doors are closing. Behind this group, I know there are some basically saying it’s over, and that is absolutely so far from the truth. And I’ll give you an analogy of why that's so far from the truth. Now, it is clear that they are backing up and they are beginning to know that they are cornered. But it isn’t over because we are between them and the good guys. For the most part humanity is completely unaware of what’s really going on around themselves. Humanity is in a very precarious position.

“But I’ll just give you this analogy. You even hear it with some of these speakers saying, you know, a brand new financial system is coming in, and it’s gona be miraculous, it’s gona be absolutely wonderful; it’s gona replace the old system. Well, the old system was based on a fiat currency from, they only last about 80 years. So it’s coming to an end. It has reached its pinnacle of putting everybody in debt. So we have now a new financial system coming in. This is an Earth financial system. However it is being managed by other personages who are not solely human.

“At this point, there were only four countries that were not part of the Rothschild’s banking system. They were North Korea, Cuba, Libya and Iran. Well we know Libya is no longer a part of that. They're no longer free, they are now part of the Rothschild’s banking system. The next would be Iran and we are already hearing the ramblings about going to war with Iran and making them the bad guy. As far as North Korea and Cuba, I don’t think anybody gives a sh*t about those two countries.

“So, this should show everyone that what they’re hearing that it’s all over, it’s time to relax, you know, pick up your heels, open a six-pack, you know, it’s way premature, way premature.


25:30
“Most people in government don’t really understand the real element of control here and that it’s extraterrestrial. They are aware of the human element. Those that have awareness of it, made a choice to succumb to this evil. I am sure that they were probably threatened and that their families were threatened, etc. Because we have inherited this problem. Those alive today inherited this problem. But this is the Orion Model.

“This is what the Orions, both the human aspect of what’s the Anunaki are a part of and the Reptilian lineages used to do, hundreds and hundreds of millions of years ago when the colonization of galaxies was in its beginning and its infancy. I don’t even know how many years ago that was.

“But this is the Orion Model: they would come in with different gods, they would separate the humanity of that planet. They would change their language. They would teach them a faith or a religion to separate them even more. Then they would use them to fight one another to build animosity and distrust.

“That alone changes the entire harmonic of not only the race but the planet. They think holographically, they know this stuff. They know what it does, ok, because they have all this knowledge.

“So, when you have planetary race and a planet vibrating at a low frequency, it is like a nesting zone for these guys. And when that’s done, what they then do is they corrupt, they create a priesthood to be the intermediaries between humanity and them because the more hidden they are, especially if they are regressive, the more stealth they are, the easier it is for them to manipulate.

“So, they use their human priesthoods, or their priesthoods – I am assuming all the races are human; they are not -- to basically implement the strategy and the plan.

“Once they have absolute control of a planet and the humanity on it and all the resources, just before they expose themselves, come forward and introduce themselves as gods, what they do is they eliminate all the people that helped them. All, the priesthoods, all the intermediaries, all the middle management, they eliminate all of them so there is no one left to tell the story. And they erase history. Then the humanity on that particular planet is floundering around wondering “Who the hell are we?” “what’s true, what isn’t true? “How do you explain this?” “That religion says that.” It creates all this confusion and no one is on the same page and that’s exactly how they managed to control these planets.

““Ordo ab chao”

“You cannot enslave a planet that is well educated and you have a humanity that knows who it is on high spiritual principles. You cannot enslave a race like that.”

Did Robert Stanley give any reason for removing this interview?

If not, does anyone at least have a good guess as to perhaps why?

[Hervé]

The business/profit virus... AKA Greed:

Slave labor: Prison food contractors funded efforts to combat marijuana legalization

John Vibes Mint Press News Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:50 UTC

An inmate makes a sandwich while working in the employees’ cafeteria at Coxsackie Correctional Facility in Coxsackie, N.Y.

Food Services of America, a subsidiary of Services Group of America is funding efforts to keep marijuana illegal. It makes sense, considering that a vast majority of America's prisoners are locked in prison on marijuana charges, and the company stands to gain a lot of business from the laws staying the same.

Marijuana.com reported that the company donated $80,000 to a campaign committee opposing the legal cannabis measure on Arizona's November ballot.

Services Group of America has been criticized in the past for providing food to prisons that failed to meet basic nutritional requirements.

The report also indicated that the Arizona state Chamber of Commerce contributed $498,000 to the same campaign week. The effort also received a half million dollar donation from opioid maker Insys Therapeutics as well as sizeable contributions from various players in the alcohol industry.

The influence that the alcohol and pharmaceutical industries have on keeping marijuana illegal has been well documented, but the influence of prison contractors is rarely discussed.

The prison industry is one of the fastest growing and top-earning businesses in the United States. In the past three decades, this enterprise has grown into a monstrous system of oppression that now houses over 2 and a half million people in the US. This number is, by far, the largest prison population in the world. No country on earth has as many inmates as the "land of the free."

Ironic isn't it? Since 1991 the violent crime rate in America has dropped at least 20%, while the amount of people in prison has increased by 50% in that time. These numbers show that the rapid growth in the prison population is primarily due to over prosecution of nonviolent crimes.

This has nothing to do with "cleaning up the streets" or making our society safer — it is all about money and control. The prison system as it stands now does not make our society any safer but instead turns average nonviolent offenders into hardened criminals by exposing them to such a harsh environment.

The sad truth is that the way our prison system has been structured has actually outlawed more than half of the US population. Nonviolent offenders have no place behind bars. The savage conditions of prison will turn most people into violent offenders once they get out. Which is exactly what the prison establishment wants - return customers.

This establishment is the collection of state and quasi-state/private industries that make up the "prison industrial complex." Billions of dollars are made every year in this industry. One company, Wackenhut Corrections, makes over a billion dollars a year and they aren't even the biggest prison service in the country.

These numbers also don't take into consideration the many satellite businesses that surround this industry. There are over 1,000 vendors that specifically sell correctional paraphernalia. Even local phone companies cash in on the operation. The companies install payphones for free because those phones can generate $15,000 per year from each inmate making a phone call every day.

Those companies are just the tip of the iceberg. That isn't even counting the police, lawyers, wardens, politicians and food distributors that line their pockets through the incarceration of peaceful Americans.

All of these organizations have a distinct interest in keeping nonviolent people in jail. So, it should come as no surprise a prison contractor is working to keep marijuana illegal.

[Michelle Marie]

Posted by the_vast_mystery (here)
The entire criminal justice system functions on mass hypocrisy. It cannot ever be fair or impartial (as humans cannot be 100% fair or impartial, let alone with the police militarization and insider cultures promoted by their "Internal Affairs" style of handling misconduct.) but to function it requires it be sold as both of these things. (So that the governed will trust the system enough to turn over evidence to it and cooperate with it.) Our social institutions are all built on contradictions just like these. Worse, to maintain the contradictions we allow government to propagandize and lie about the virtues of these systems under the guise of "state secrets" and other odious national security language to keep just how dysfunctional our system is out of the public eye so that people will still continue to trust/use it.

This is why I'm sure police misconduct is handled how it is. Because if everyone regularly heard about Law Enforcement's screwups they'd probably never trust it.

I don't trust law enforcement.

I don't trust the court system.

My rights have been violated and I have been harmed.

There is no ethical law enforcement. They are dangerous criminals in police costumes infringing on the rights and freedoms of others.

There might be some good cops and true criminals, but the criminals I'm seeing hold high positions and pass laws and engage in murder to make themselves immune to being caught, restrained, and reformed. The criminal police and courts I personally experienced clearly were bullies operating outside the law within the system. (Too prevalent these days.)

Hopefully, the current momentum of truth will change all of this.

Law enforcement makes me feel in danger instead of safe.

MM