Here is something that I did not know…

“California has desegregated three of its 30 men’s prisons, according to California Department of Corrections spokeswoman Terry Thornton. A fourth facility, Folsom State Prison, is in the process of integrating its housing units this year.” The prisons in California are still officially segregated??? Honestly, I didn’t know that this defacto policy was still in existence 56 years after Brown vs. Board of Education desegregated our schools (at least on paper).

News 21 is reporting about the state of the criminal legal system in California as part of a series called Behind Bars: The California Convict Cycle. Fourteen journalists are spending the summer covering the crisis in California prisons.

To watch some of their series on prison segregation click on this link.

Between 1996 and 2006, as the U.S. population rose by 12 percent, the number of adults incarcerated rose by 33 percent to 2.3 million inmates, and the number of inmates who were substance involved shot up by 43 percent to 1.9 million inmates.

Of the 2.3 million inmates in U.S. prisons, 65% — 1.5 million meet the DSM-IV medical criteria for alcohol or other drug abuse and addiction. Another 20 percent — 458,000 — even though they don’t meet the DSM-IV medical criteria for alcohol and other drug abuse and addiction nevertheless were substance involved; i.e. were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of their offense, stole money to buy drugs, are substance abusers, violated the alcohol or drug laws, or share some combination of these characteristics.

Source: Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population

Please look out for these budding first-grade criminals. They are a menace and need to be stopped by being handcuffed at school. The Southern Poverty Law Center has decided to file a lawsuit against the school district for this action. This is the problem with organizations like SPLC who believe in human rights, dignity, and interrupting the school to prison pipeline. They are just so damn concerned about the traumatic effects of the criminalization of young people. Haven’t they gotten the message that a handcuffing a day keeps little Jimmy at bay?

One of the greatest joys that I have is that so many people from across the country have been so supportive of our work. We have the best volunteers and supporters out there. People are really committed to eradicating youth incarceration and to dismantling the prison industrial complex.

When one of our incredible volunteers decided to organize an art show and fundraiser for us, he put the call out asking that artists send us their graphic responses to the PIC. One of those artists from New Orleans, the incomparable Andrea Slocum, sent us this amazing drawing called “Cell Block.” She did so even though she had been in the hospital in the week prior to the deadline. Mad props and thanks to Andrea and all of the other artists supporting our work. Without art, we can’t create social change.

If you are in Chicago on August 28th, come to the opening event for Art against Incarceration, at Many People’s Church, 1505-07 West Morse from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. I hope to feature many more incredible visual representations on the PIC in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Cell Block by Andrea Slocum

In 2007 there were 1.7 million children in America with a parent in prison, more than 70% of whom were children of color. The number of incarcerated mothers has more than doubled (122%) from 29,500 in 1991 to 65,600 in 2007.

Source: Incarcerated Parents and Their Children: Trends 1991-2007 by the Sentencing Project.

For many years, I have been actively working to interrupt the school to prison pipeline for the youth in my community. Then I read cases like this and I just think… “they’re not even trying to disguise it anymore…”

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) The Richmond County School System’s Facilities and Maintenance Department is planning to start an inmate work detail at schools to save money this upcoming school year.

Facilities Director Benton Starks says the school system might hire six inmates and a guard. They could be assigned to such things as grounds work, moving certain items and cleaning stadiums. It could cost $65,000 for the inmates and guard and $10,000 for vehicle and equipment needs.

Starks says the detail would not be close to students or faculty and that there would be plenty of security.

He says it could offset the cost of day laborers hired in the summer to help move things from schools and save more than $16,000.

There is all kind of wrong in this article. First they are going to hire inmates in order to “save money.” This once again points to the exploitation of prisoners for their labor. It also depresses wages for other people who could take these jobs. Finally, Mr. Starks assures the public that the inmates “would not be close to students and faculty and that there would be plenty of security.” Just appalling!

Source: Richmond Co. May Add Inmate Workers to Schools.

Source: New York Times

Prison Boom

The U.S. government detained approximately 380,000 people in immigration custody in a variety of about 350 facilities at an annual cost of more than $1.7 billion (source: www.detentionwatchnetwork.org).

Read the article Ties that Bind to better understand how private prison companies are and stand to benefit from the draconian “papers please” Arizona law (S.B. 1070).

Yesterday came the news that The Geo Group and Cornell Companies are officially merging. Just terrific, now these private prison and detention facility operators can combine their evil powers to wreak more havoc on our communities and the rest of the world.

“The GEO Group (http://www.geogroup.com) is a world leader in the delivery of correctional, detention, and residential treatment services to federal, state, and local government agencies around the globe. GEO offers a turnkey approach that includes design, construction, financing, and operations. GEO represents government clients in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO’s worldwide operations include the management and/or ownership of 62 correctional and residential treatment facilities with a total design capacity of approximately 60,000 beds, including projects under development.”

“Cornell Companies, Inc. (http://www.cornellcompanies.com) is a leading private provider of corrections, treatment and educational services outsourced by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Cornell provides a diversified portfolio of services for adults and juveniles, including incarceration and detention, transition from incarceration, drug and alcohol treatment programs, behavioral rehabilitation and treatment, and grades 3-12 alternative education in an environment of dignity and respect, emphasizing community safety and rehabilitation in support of public policy. At December 31, 2009, the Company had 68 facilities in 15 states and the District of Columbia and a total service capacity of 21,392.”

Cornell does not even pretend that it isn’t working to reinforce the school to prison pipeline. It is right out there owning “alternative education” schools as well as detention center. I guess that they are just going to cut out the middle man.

Matt Miller recently published a blog post called Do Private Prisons Save Money? Miller was hopeful that because private prison companies are struggling financially and that they are not really cost-effective for local governments, that their days may be numbered. Well after merging with Cornell, something tells me the the Geo Group intends to be around for the long haul.