With 2.5 million mostly poor, mostly African people incarcerated in this country, the prison industry has long been a massive economic stimulus package. Primarily located in the countryside, prisons are the third largest industry for rural white America, following casinos and hog farming. Prisons mean jobs and development for white people at the expense of African people.
There's lots of talk about recovery programs, but here is an article from the St. Petersburg Times that tells the real story about how the powers that be are planning to rebuild the economy. It doesn't matter if the administration is republican or democrat, their strategy for African people is the same: crminialize, impoverish, imprison.
St. Petersburg Times, December 20, 2008:
"More than 100,000 people in state prisons
Miami. Florida's prison population topped 100,000 for the first time Thursday, making it third in line after California and Texas.
To prepare for more prisoners, the state has purchased and begun setting up tents to house inmates, though none are being used.
Department of Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil told lawmakers this month that prisoner growth shows not signs of stopping.
The State will need to build 19 prisons in the next five years if nothing is done to slow the growth, he said.
He estimated the cost at $1.9 billion, nearly equal to the department's annual budget."
There are currently 137 prisons in Florida, so 19 more is about a 12 percent increase. As if one in eight young African men in prison is not enough!
Justice and reparations for African people now!
2 comments:
While we are remembering our brothers and sisters locked up on the state level... We must remember and fight for the ones locked up on the Federal level. There is NO Federal parole. Mandatory minimums have served to land good black men and women unimaginable prison sentences for non violent crimes. For instance the crack cocaine disparity in which crack cocaine lands black people 100:1 sentences gives men and women 5 yrs for a piece of crack the size of a tic-tac, while powder cocaine dealers who are mostly white wouldn't receive 5 yrs unless they were in possession of enough cocaine to equal a 5 lb bag of sugar. Black men receive sentences ranging from 20, 40 even 87 years with no chance for parole and are mandated to do 87% if they are good every day.
We have to demand that these men be given an opportunity to receive parole!! It is a matter of national security.
Thank you! So true. This is a major issue of the Uhuru Movement. Check out Uhuru Radio at http://uhurunews.com/radio/
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