The Prison Industrial Complex

1. The Prison Industrial Complex

2. Outline: Prison-Industrial Complex • What is the Prison-Industrial Complex? • Impact of the War on Drugs and Mandatory Minimums • Ex-prisoner, Barry Joe, Re-entry to Society • Corrections as an Arena for Profitable Enterprise: Private Prisons and Private Construction • Reforming the Prison Industrial Complex

3. What is the Prison Industrial Complex? A profitable, tough on crime justice system with problems concerning: Racism Sexism Classism

4. Prison-Industrial Complex: Main Features/Players • Main features • Similarities with military industrial complex -political,social, and economic gains -Mixture of public and private spheres • Main players: • privatized prisons/correctional institutions • corporations contracting prison labor • construction companies • conservative politics

5. The War on Drugs and Mandatory Minimums SUB TOPIC #1 LUKE WALSH RYAN MARTINSON DEVIN GILBERT San Quentin Maximum security penitentiary

6. The War on Drugs • Officially declared in the early 1980’s • Contributions to prison expansion • National Drug policies • A shift in priorities: stronger focus on punitive objectives

7. The War On Drugs • Augmentation of drug arrests 1980-2007 • Disproportionate representation of African Americans • Skyrocketing levels of incarceration • Overpopulation

8. Federal Asset Forfeiture • Seizure of assets, without due process • Increased funding for the “drug scare” • Increased drug related crimes

9. Anti Drug Abuse Acts Of 1986 And 1988 • Created severe mandatory minimum sentencing laws for drug offenses -possession of 5 grams or more of crack cocaine carries a minimum of 5 years in prison • Effects on federal sentencing guidelines • Attacking the root cause, or the symptom? -Low level arrests versus high level in dealer hierarchy

10. From Prison to Society: Barry Joe’s Barriers • Barry Joe’s Barriers: even though a non-violent ex-offender, he has difficulty finding employment,housing, and adequate health care. • Barry Joe [interview] • The profitable prison-industry in conjunction with the War on Drugs, mandatory minimum sentencing makes reformation a difficulty task.

11. Disparate Impacts Seth Olson Lucy Moore

12. White vs Non-White: Housing • Urban centers vs Suburbs • Government policies/FHA redlining • Urban “renewal” • Real estate practices/Restrictive covenants • “Visible/Non-Visible Crime

13. White v. Non-White: Punishment • 1973: Rockefeller imposes harsher drug sentences • 1981: Reagan’s “War on Drugs” and Military police style • 1994: Wilson’s “3 Strikes” Law • 1990’s: Clinton passes: Crime bill; Welfare Reform; Higher Ed Reform

14. White vs Non-White • 5 grams crack or 500 grams cocaine=same sentence

15. Disparate Incarceration Rates, by Race www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/raceinc.html

16. Women and Children • 50% imprisoned women HIV positive and addicted to drugs • 1 in 109 women incarcerated, 1 in 50 disenfranchised due to conviction • 53,000 foster care children with incarcerated mother • 1 in 5 children witness mother’s arrest

17. Effects on Poorly Educated • Employment rate: black HS dropouts: 1980: 66% 1999: 50% • Including Prisoners: 1980: 55% 1999: 30% • Decreased earning potential as they age • 1999: white dropouts 1.5X more employed than black dropouts • Including Prisoners: whites 2.5X more employed than blacks

19. Sentencing And Incarceration • Many drug offenders are disproportionately incarcerated based on certain categories • Nearly 500,000 inmates are currently incarcerated for possession and or sale of drugs

20. Statistics • Percentage of prisoners suffering from substance abuse: • 53 % of state and federal prisons • Percentage of those prisoners receiving treatment while incarcerated: • State 40.3% • Federal 48.6%

21. Corrections as a profitable enterprise Private prisons and private construction

23. Prisons and the effect on local economies • 21% of residents live in poverty • Taxation issues • Contributor to local economies/services? • Use of prison labor versus local labor

24. Measure 11 • Mandatory minimum sentencing for 21 criminal offenses • Increases in operating costs • Diminished cost-benefit ratio • Financial impact on Oregon taxpayers

25. Business of Corrections/Growing prison populations • Spending increases on corrections • New prisons being built • Growing market for private business • Prison population growth tied to lucrative business • State Department of Corrections budget is growing

26. Jessica Marks, Rebbeccah Robinson Reforming the Prison-Industrial Complex

27. Government Budgeting Prison treatment programs Shift fiscal responsibilities from state to local government Community service programs

28. Treatment of non-violent offenders Drug & alcohol treatment Mental health treatment and job skills training

29. Individual Based Sentencing Reform parole practice Earned time & sentence reduction Eliminate mandatory minimums

30. Deprivatize the Prison System Give back authority to government Hold organizations liable for actions Public Safety and Justice Campaign

31. Preventing Crime Provide equal social opportunity One-Stop Rehabilitation Centers Expand Alternative Incarceration Program

32. Community Reentry Program