The conversation about incarceration is slowly changing: The Economist’s not-exactly-progressive columnist Lexington recently slammed the United States for a prison system that involves 1 in 31 adults and targets people of color. It’s not every day that a major international publication calls out the U.S. for its tendency to use imprisonment as a solution for social problems such as drug use, poverty and mental illness.
From the article:
But in one area America is going from strength to strength—the incarceration of its population. America has less than 5% of the world’s people but almost 25% of its prisoners. It imprisons 756 people per 100,000 residents, a rate nearly five times the world average. About one in every 31 adults is either in prison or on parole. Black men have a one-in-three chance of being imprisoned at some point in their lives. “A Leviathan unmatched in human history”, is how Glenn Loury, professor of social studies at Brown University, characterises America’s prison system.
Conditions in the Leviathan’s belly can be brutal. More than 20% of inmates report that they have been sexually assaulted by guards or fellow inmates. Federal prisons are operating at more than 130% of capacity. A sixth of prisoners suffer from mental illness of one sort or another. There are four times as many mentally ill people in prison as in mental hospitals.
. . .
As well as being brutal, prisons are ineffective. They may keep offenders off the streets, but they fail to discourage them from offending. Two-thirds of ex-prisoners are re-arrested within three years of being released. The punishment extends to prisoners’ families, too. America’s 1.7m “prison orphans” are six times more likely than their peers to end up in prison themselves. The punishment also sometimes continues after prisoners are released. America is one of only a handful of countries that bar prisoners from voting, and in some states that ban is lifelong: 2% of American adults and 14% of black men are disfranchised because of criminal convictions.
. . .
But Mr Webb is now America’s leading advocate of prison reform. He has co-sponsored a bill to create a blue-ribbon commission to report on America’s prisons. And he has spoken out in every possible venue, from the Senate to local political meetings. Mr Webb is not content with incremental reform. He is willing to tackle what he calls “the elephant in the bedroom”—America’s willingness to imprison people for drug offences.
You can thank Senator Webb for his leadership in a campaign run by our partner organization, ColorOfChange.org.
8 Comments
Remember guys…the unions run the prisons and keep their members fully employed by keeping people incarcerated. Most prisons are on the stock market as profit making corporations. The drug company’s want everyone using “natural drugs” to be using their prescripted drugs.
Follow the money and fix the greed and self interest and the rest will follow.
Dave
Interesting site, but much advertisments on him. Shall read as subscription, rss.
I applaud your efforts towards prison reform. I agree with Dave that prison is big business and until that conglomerate is brought into check, more prisons will be built to house more of my(our) sons, fathers, husbands, wives, etc. to serve as slave labor in those institutions. there is no reform for reenty into the communities but reinforced skills to reenter the prison upon release. The biggest employer is the least one to consider hiring ex-offenders-federal government.
Campbell Enterprises, Inc.
Urban Farm Developers Proposal
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
This proposal is free for all Black Men, Black Women and Black Youth, who are unemployed or unemployable. This information provides a Step-By-Step Process for you to become an Urban Farm Developer by creating residential and commercials backyard gardens for home and business owners.
A Step by Step to Becoming an Urban Farm Developer Entrepreneur
Step 1: Urban Farm Developer must register their for-profit company with their State’s Secretary of States’ Office. The fee to register a corporation ranges between $50.00 and $150.00 dollars. In Ohio, the Secretary of State Office Website is http://www.SOS.State.Oh.us/sos and the fee for Ohio Business Registration cost $125.00. Their address is: Secretary of State Business Service Division 180 East Broad Street 16th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215. Most states list their business information online.
Step 2: Urban Farm Developer must establish a business checking account, preferably with local banks willing to make them a small micro enterprise loans of between $500 to $1,000 dollars, but it is not necessary to start an Urban Farm Developer business.
Step 3: Contact an accountant, who will help you setup your accounting and financial management books. You must plan and save money and pay your quarterly and annual federal, state, city and school taxes. In Columbus Ohio, contact Karen L. Youngblood at KLY & Associates at 614-596-9532 or by email at klybiz@live.com can assist you setting up your accounting records. She charges a flat fee of $300.00 per year, which can be paid all at once or in payment installments of $50.00 pre month over a six-month period, using an automatic bill payment process through your bank account.
Step 4: Develop a flier that includes the name of your company, telephone number, business address, email and website (optional) and list the services and prices. Offer a discount for customers who refer other customers. Distribute your flies in your neighborhood and to your family and friends first and then to other neighborhoods.
Step 5: Here are examples of the type of services that Urban Farm Developers provide:
1. A Small Urban Backyard Garden – Cost $100.00 – Size: 8 X 8
2. A Medium Urban Backyard Garden- Cost $150.00 – Size: 12 X 12
3. A Large Urban Backyard Garden- Cost $300.00 – Size: 16 X 16
4. A Bi-Weekly Maintenance Care Package -Cost $50.00, which includes weed removal, and watering. (No pesticides should be used in Urban Farming.) All taxes should be included with the flat fee. No hidden fees should be charged.
5. Provide Free Vegetable Seeds or allow customers to purchase their own from a store.
6. Offer customers the option to pay for the Maintenance Care Package over five payments of $10.00 per payment, over five months through their bank account transfer bill payment process. You can get information about this process through your bank.
7. Make sure that your prices are pre-set and only take payment, after the customer has visually approved your work and is satisfied. Satisfied customers will refer more business to you. Unsatisfied customers will destroy your reputation and cause your business to fail.
Step 6: The Urban Farm Developer Entrepreneurs must identify hardware stores or pawnshops to rent or buy equipment needed to become an urban Farm Developer. (Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace Hardware or others) You will need wood to outline a rectangular shaped garden, rebar to hold it in place, top soil and fertilizer mix, tools for tilling the soil, free seeds.
Guideline for Supplies: Some of the costs are one time and other costs are based on the sized of the garden. Check with People in your community who might donate some equipment or help you purchase startup equipment. The cost below did not include State Business Filing Fees or Accounting Fees, or transportation cost. For around $500 in Startup Capital, our communities could begin to empower and employ us.
Items Cost Quantity Total
1 Landscape Timber for Small Garden 8 X 8 $3.00 8 Double Stacked $24.00
2 Landscape Timber for Medium Garden 12 X 12 $3.00 12 Double Stacked $36.00
3 Landscape Timber for Large Garden 16 X 16 $3.00 16 Double Stacked $48.00
4 1 Bundle of Rebar $0.87 50 1ft. Rebar $44.00
5 Rent Garden Tiller $65.00 Per/ Day 1 $65.00
6 4 LB Double Hammer $17.00 1 $17.00
7 Garden Planter $23.00 1 $23.00
8 Garden Rake $13.00 1 $13.00
9 Leather Gloves $ 5.00 1 $ 5.00
10 2 Gallon Watering Can $ 5.00 1 $ 5.00
11 Garden Top Soil $ 7.00 5 Bags for Small $35.00
12 Vegetable Seeds $ 2.00 10 Different Seeds $20.00
13 Gas for the Tiller $ 3.00 1 Gallons Per Job $ 3.00
Total $338.00
Step 7: Urban Farm Developer’s Etiquette and Rules for Doing Business:
1. Never ask to use your customer’s water, tools or restroom. Always be prepared for any situation. Know where the local public restrooms are located.
2. Never go into you customer’s home.
3. Never be sexually inappropriate, flirt and touch your customers. Always maintain your professionalism.
4. Never lie, steal or cheat your customers. Your customers are always right, even if you have to redo the garden from the beginning or refund their money. Do it with a smile and apologize for not meeting their expectation and thank them for their time. Repeat business and a good reputation fro excellent service is very profitable.
5. Never schedule more work than you are capable of doing. Always consider employing others from your community, when you need to expand.
6. Always provide written receipts for work completed (Checks or Money Orders). Cash only, if the customers insist. Checks and Money Orders are better for Accounting.
7. Greed is BAD! It leads to poor decision-making and business failure. Avoid it at all cost!
8. Always talk to customers about their pets. Safety is very important.
9. Practice your presentation skills, prior to distributing your fliers. Ask for help if you need it.
Step 8: The Black Urban Farm Developer must show “Black Love”, by always mentoring and training other Black People to become Urban Farm Developers. We must learn to love each other more than money and demonstrate “Black Love” by helping others become successful.
Thousands of families and businesses will have urban backyard gardens created by Urban Farm Developers and community farmer’s markets will be developed all over the country. The community will be able to purchase fresh community grown fruits and vegetables at local convenience and grocery stores, at reduce prices. Urban Farm Developers will create millions of Green Job Opportunities all over America and promote a stronger economy. Please forward this proposal to everyone you know and print out copies to share with Black Men and Women who maybe interested in this opportunity.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
Charles E. Campbell, CEO
Campbell Enterprises, Inc.
campbellsenterprise@hotmail.com
Good, interesting article, but where took information?
Interesting article for a problem that is getting worse. First minorities were always a target for the penal system. But in 1987 “The War on Drugs” incarceration of drug offenders became a economic driving force. War is always used to invigorate economic growth (economics 101). At that time in US history a war was waged on Young Black People. If you were to examine the many industries, careers etc that was created you would see the impact was substantial. The creation of Jobs, Prison Officers, Law Enforcement, DEA, Lawyers, Judges, Parole Officers, Construction Workers, Supply Contractors, etc.
Outside of the fact that States received revenue to fight the crime and incarcerate the offenders.
The problem is that now the system is out of control and needs to be reversed or reigned in. It may have served its economic purpose then but the long-term effect it is having on families, individuals, Federal & State Budgets are damaging. Our country spends more money on incarcerating a citizen than improving our kids education to compete globally for higher paying jobs. Therefore indirectly our Tax dollars which is spent by our government actually rewards or invest in activities that is damaging to our long-term ability to compete Global. We should not be leaders in prisons or prisoners. Instead we should take back our lead role in Higher Education and bring back the glory that The USA had as being the leader in education and talent. Countries like India & China are investing heavily in higher education for their citizens and are taking away more and more American jobs.
We need to reverse course on “The War on Drugs / (Our Citizens)” and stop spending $35,000 wastefully on warehousing an prisoner in a penal system that do not work and instead start to invest in Higher education and opportunities for every citizen who wants to work and have a Job!
Time for Change..
Instead of just incarcerating minorities and using the justification “it’s not our fault that they commit the most crimes”, the authorities should figure out a way to achieve prevention, rather than detention. Imprisonment is a temporary way out of the solution and a method that is quite outdated in today’s society. The US should take the lead in prevention mechanisms.
small gardens are cute but i still prefer to have those medium sized gardens where i can grow some veggies ~’: