How Corporations Make Money from Prison Labor: They’re Happy to Have More Inmates

[Fire Walk With Me]

Occupy Journey ?@rtcomp2

How Corporations Make Money from Prison Labor: They’re Happy to Have More Inmates http://on.fb.me/WWzMgQ
Retweeted by #occupybrussels


http://www.techyville.com/2013/02/news/how-corporations-make-money-from-prison-labor-theyre-happy-to-have-more-inmates/

From the inmate’s perspective, it’s more than frustrating. He’s worked construction for free for almost a year until a slot opens and he can finally make $.12 per hour. Inmates with more tenure might be making $100 per month to build things for Unicor, who only sells to government agencies at top dollar. Some can’t work and get $4.50 per month “maintenance allowance,” enough to buy deodorant and a candy bar.

A year ago they had little room but now three sets of bunk-beds cram six people together in a place designed for two. They once had four television rooms but those are being converted into more bed-space as well. All the while, the conversation is alive about how much money the prison is making off them.

The Bureau of Prisons and Department of Justice run state and federal prisons, both of whom point to the national budget. If asked, representatives for these prisons say that no one profits from the inmates, that the prison labor is to sustain and maintain the prison itself and that it is government funded.

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), on the other hand, owns and manages over 65 correctional institutions and prisons at every level, representing over 91,000 beds in 20 states. According to the public financial information available, CCA received 43% of their total revenue from federal correctional and detention authorities. The remaining 57% would be profit derived from prison labor. In 2011 alone they generated $351.1 million in cash.

(More at the link.)

[Kalidurga]

1. So that's where the jobs are going.

And we were worried about China pfft. When corps can get labor for a fraction of even the cost of labor in China, many will ask why they should go there when prison labor is cheaper and made in America.

[valerief]

2. Slavery is alive and well in America via for-profit prisons. nt

[2pooped2pop]

3. this is one of the scariest things going.

This is why they want to privatize them. They also appear to be breaking up the school system. It appears to me that the rich don't think that all people need an education anymore since most of the poor will be heading to the prison system as free labor.

The private prisons get government money as well as being guaranteed at least 80% occupancy in their private prisons. I think this is one of the reasons they keep pot illegal. They need laws to send the poor man to their gold mine prisons while making laws to keep the rich fuckers getting richer.

It is not a good life awaiting the next generation if these mf'ers succeed.

[CrispyQ]

4. This is just so fucking wrong on so many levels.

"We believe we have been successful in increasing the number of residents in our care and continue to pursue a number of initiatives intended to further increase our occupancy and revenue.” This statement from CCA’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K . . .

Residents? Increase our occupancy? Damned fuckers talk like it's a luxury hotel.

This will be an uphill battle because we are such a punitive society. Too many Americans believe that everyone in jail was rightly convicted & deserves it.