That's right friends, we can now make money off of putting people behind bars. Where else could lock 'em up and throw away the key laws come from? In case you have not got the memo on one of the more recent themes of the free market can fix EVERYTHING, we now have the Prison Industrial Complex. The date on the article will let you know right away this is not all that new anymore. Sad to say this is a growing profit center er, industry. Read for yourself here. This is wrong on so many levels and in so many ways, it is difficult to know where to even begin. Let's look at a basic level. One reason for government is to administer justice. If we have no legal system in place, justice becomes an eye for an eye, revenge and or an on going blood feud. It may be entertaining for some in badly acted Chuck Norris or Steven Seagal flicks but this is not a place we really want to be. These male revenge fantasy movies some may find entertaining but they are about anything but real justice. They are about violent aggression, male power, privilege (mostly reserved for whites) and an abysmal oversimplification of justice. Just consider some of the war torn places around the world that have no set justice system. Yes, our system is deeply flawed (two systems really - one for rich and one for poor) but it is a system none the less. We need to have a functional independent justice system. What is that?
What is a justice system for? Deter crime, punish and rehabilitate those who have harmed others and keep us safe are a few things that come to mind. These should be functions of the state free from undue influence of for profit corporations. They can only make money and "grow" in an unhealthy society with too strong an emphasis on "punishment" or even movie style revenge. How can there not be a huge conflict of interest between helping criminals reenter society and profit maximization based on prison population? Helping produce good citizens (or even okay ones) is totally at odds with cashing in on profits based on the incarcerated population growing. This is the so-called free market solution? Markets may be great for making better cars or burgers but I'd rather pass on a market driven justice system. I hear ya, we got that now! True but that is for another entry later on. Putting private firms in such a position only makes our current problems even worse. Justice is for sale to the highest bidder as it is and those who cannot afford justice become fodder for profits of far away shareholders. Meanwhile, community stakeholders get the shaft.
When these privately run intuitions starts mixing with justice on the local level, the real fun begins. See an example here. Our poor youth, those with mental health problems and even school kids get sacrificed on the holy alter of the "Market Solution." Everything else is sacrificed right along with them. Decent health care, food humane facilities are all out the window. Yeah, prison is not supposed to be a spa but we are talking about flesh and blood living, thinking and feeling human beings. They too are entitled to certain level of safety and security. The rest of us gain nothing by treating them like animals or worse. "The Market" does not give a shit about human suffering. Even the low level people who work for "for profit" justice often lose. They are often underpaid and under trained for the work they are asked to do. The community loses as well picking up the tab for countless shattered lives and repeat offenders for decades to come.
This will only get worse if we continue to privatize every function of government no matter how important or vital it may be. There is a reason, well many, there is both "government" and "business." Those who think the two are interchangeable do so at their peril. But that's for next time.
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