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Washington Post: Justice Department Says It Will End Use Of Private Prisons


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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/18/justice-department-says-it-will-end-use-of-private-prisons/?utm_term=.d4e9b87925b9

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The Justice Department plans to end its use of private prisons after officials concluded the facilities are both less safe and less effective at providing correctional services than those run by the government.

Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates announced the decision on Thursday in a memo that instructs officials to either decline to renew the contracts for private prison operators when they expire or “substantially reduce” the contracts’ scope. The goal, Yates wrote, is “reducing — and ultimately ending — our use of privately operated prisons.”

“They simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources; they do not save substantially on costs; and as noted in a recent report by the Department’s Office of Inspector General, they do not maintain the same level of safety and security,” Yates wrote.

 

more in the link

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This is fantastic.  The private prison system makes a complete mockery of justice.  Incarceration for profit doesn't belong in this country (or any other for that matter).  Granted it's just a start but hopefully we'll see this trickle down to the state level as well.

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This is a very good start.  But i think most of the profit comes from vendors to prisons, not necessarily the prisons themselves.

http://time.com/3446372/criminal-justice-prisoners-profit/

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JPay and other prison bankers collect tens of millions of dollars every year from inmates’ families in fees for basic financial services. To make payments, some forego medical care, skip utility bills and limit contact with their imprisoned relatives, the Center for Public Integrity found in a six-month investigation.

Inmates earn as little as 12 cents per hour in many places, wages that have not increased for decades. The prices they pay for goods to meet their basic needs continue to increase.

By erecting a virtual tollbooth at the prison gate, JPay has become a critical financial conduit for an opaque constellation of vendors that profit from millions of poor families with incarcerated loved ones.

JPay streamlines the flow of cash into prisons, making it easier for corrections agencies to take a cut. Prisons do so directly, by deducting fees and charges before the money hits an inmate’s account. They also allow phone and commissary vendors to charge marked-up prices, then collect a share of the profits generated by these contractors.

Taken together, the costs imposed by JPay, phone companies, prison store operators and corrections agencies make it far more difficult for poor families to escape poverty so long as they have a loved one in the system.

 

 

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14 minutes ago, BornaSkinsFan83 said:

This is potentially much bigger news in my opinion. Much, much bigger.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/justice-department-says-poor-can-t-be-held-when-they-n634676

Justice Department Says Poor Can't Be Held When They Can't Afford Bail

 

well past time for that....except for the dangerous and flight risks of course

do we get cookies next?

 

add

 

isn't that the courts domain?....or did justice make bail laws?

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Yeah isn't bond supposed to be assurance you'll come back for the hearing and nothing more?

If you're still a threat aren't they supposed to just outright deny bail?

I don't work in the system, but if the TV shows are to be believed :ols: then poor people wind up losing their jobs and such which really isn't good for anyone in the grand scheme of things when it comes to the lesser criminal offenses.

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7 minutes ago, tshile said:

Yeah isn't bond supposed to be assurance you'll come back for the hearing and nothing more?

If you're still a threat aren't they supposed to just outright deny bail?

I don't work in the system, but if the TV shows are to be believed :ols: then poor people wind up losing their jobs and such which really isn't good for anyone in the grand scheme of things when it comes to the lesser criminal offenses.

How did you know I was seeing the Law & Order side of it?

I certainly understand some cases of extremely high bail for famous people accused of heinous crimes...jurisdictions need the money on the front end, which they put on their bottom line for the accounting office, and they know it can be afforded.

Our legal "system" is actually made of money when you think about it.

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Yup. Everything from how you're treated, to odds of conviction, to the severity of your punishment seem to depend greatly on how much money you have.

People often cite the racial disparity, but there seems to be a wealth disparity in outcome in the legal system too.

I've seen the legal people on the board cite the public defenders as some of the better lawyers, they should certainly know better than me, but from where I sit if I'm going to trial it seems the high priced ones have a better track record...

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6 minutes ago, tshile said:

Yup. Everything from how you're treated, to odds of conviction, to the severity of your punishment seem to depend greatly on how much money you have.

People often cite the racial disparity, but there seems to be a wealth disparity in outcome in the legal system too.

I've seen the legal people on the board cite the public defenders as some of the better lawyers, they should certainly know better than me, but from where I sit if I'm going to trial it seems the high priced ones have a better track record...

Because they can afford to shift money to court clerks to have their cases heard by certain judges.

Where have you been?:ols:

The public defenders are actually the BETTER lawyers...because they want to advance to high dollar stuff...and they have to prove their worth.  Any nutbag can get a ham sandwich indicted.  

And race plays a whole lot bigger role than you'd even imagine.  I did 17 days in my 30s.  I was doing everything I could to help people understand things...and I had to do it quietly.

Counties/cities want money.  And they'll lock you up for loitering to get it.

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This is great news and glad to see it moving in the right direction. There are certain things where private industry and the need to make a profit is counterproductive to the mission of doing good for others. Prisons and education are good examples.

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