Americans have always been proud of their freedom. Immigrants come to America longing to be free. Politicians like to talk about freedom. America is the land of the free and home of the brave. For a country that claims to value freedom, we sure take it away from many people. The United States imprisons more people than any other nation; even more than communist China and countries living under dictatorial rule.
There are currently approximately 2.2 million people in American jails. This is a 500% increase over the last 30 years. No doubt the driving forces behind the increase are the War on Drugs, mandatory sentencing laws, and the prison industrial complex. The private prison industry operates 10% of the prisons in the United States. Thanks to lobbyists who have bought off numerous legislators and state governors, the industry continues to grow. Their political influence is strong in Arizona. In Arizona which has the sixth highest incarceration rate in the country, 17% of prisoners are in private prisons even though studies have shown that the state prisons operate more efficiently and economically. Prison for profit is wrong.
Senate Bill 1070 the show me your papers law was partially driven by the private prison industry as a way of filling prison cells. Governor Jan Brewer’s campaign manager was a private prison lobbyist and our new Governor Doug Ducey has already made plans to build another private prison that will house 3,000 inmates. The state even guarantees to pay them for empty beds if they can not fill the prison beds with inmates. Ducey also wants to create a Border Strike Force which will further militarize the border. The ACLU and even county Sheriff’s oppose the idea. Ducey is seeking funding for the strike force. The money would be better used for something like education. Besides that they won’t need them after they build the Great Wall of Trump.
Recently a study of the Pinal County jail shows that the incarceration rate had increased between 2012 and 2014 by 50% where nationally the incarceration rate during the same period increased at a rate of .4 % . The Pinal County Board of Supervisors is blaming the County Attorney’s Office for the increase which is costing the County tax payers money. It couldn’t be that Sheriff Babeu needed to fill his jail beds after losing the ICE contract? Don’t forget this was the Law and Order Team when they ran together in 2011. Some will say that County Attorney Voyles was elected by riding Babeu’s Tea stained coattails.
Our criminal justice system is broken, racially biased and needs to be fixed. We need new sentencing laws, prison reform, voting rights for inmates upon release, and a more equitable criminal justice system, you know, Liberty and Justice for All.
Author’s Note:
I have been given the opportunity to express my opinion and viewpoints on politics, national, state, and local issues as well as life in general. I hope to inform you as well as entertain you, make you smile or make you mad. I will use humor, sarcasm and occasionally anger to express my views. My intention is to hold politicians accountable sometimes bringing some heat on them and if my views make you angry or hot, remember that like my humor, it is a dry heat. These opinions are entirely my own and do not reflect the views of Copper Area News Publishers.