Prison Economics

In previous posts, I have mentioned how the prison system is dictated by economics rather than any desire to rehabilitate prisoners or even to protect society. I would like to illustrate by giving some examples of prison economics. Please realize that I have very little access to any research materials, particularly those regarding prison policies; these are very much censored, but I both challenge and encourage you to do any facts checking or research that you like and feel free to point out any errors.

First, and most obvious, is the fact that states are given funding per prisoner by the Federal government. This is in addition to any state taxes designated toward the prison system. These funds are ostensibly to cover the costs of facilities, like housing, food, medical care, clothing, and other "necessities". Following this money trail would be an interesting endeavor. These are the "costs" most commonly associated with the prison system.

There is a whole other world of economics also depended on or influenced by this institution. Employment is amongst the most significant of these. The entire community of this small town in Arizona is completely dependent on the several prison complexes is located here, it is fair to say that the town would probably not exist without state prison.

The indirect economics are even more far reaching. There is first, the exorbitant bail bond percentages. While in county jail, I tried to use the "bail bond ATM" that took an immediate 10% of the transaction. In my case this would have been $500, poof - up in smoke. Fortunately, I was unsuccessful and had to sit in jail until my sister posted bail, without this fee, as she paid cash, in person.

These, and other transaction fees, are a part of every money exchange. Any money sent to me in prison has a 1% fee taken off. Western union or other money wiring services also tack on additional fees. When considering the thousands of inmates in Arizona alone, that is big money.

The telephone system might be the biggest money scam going. For in - state calls, it costs about $6.00 for 15 minutes. That's whether the inmate pays or the call's receiver pays. Out - of - state calls are around $10.00 for 15 minutes. Those with cell phones (which is almost everyone now) must set up an account and pay a service fee of $5.00 every time they add money to this account. This is obscene when one considers that some phone plans are $10.00 or less for unlimited calling per month!

Then there's the "store" operated by an outside vendor. A package of ramen soup is 59¢ at present. Grocery stores might sell 10 for $1.00. Soft drinks are $1.50 for a bottle, candy bars $1.15. These prices are similar to those one might find in a convenience store, but we have no other options. If a loved one sends us a care package, they pay a $5.00 fee for an order up to $40.00 (that's the maximum) regardless of the amount spent. This is more than 12% at best!

We have several "fundraisers" throughout the year for pizza, or Sam's Club, burritos or whatnot. The price to the inmate is double the cost to the general public, with 50% going to some charity. I believe this is a nice gesture, but one must consider that if an inmate is able to get a job, they will earn from 20¢ to 45¢ per hour.

Funding is also generated for programs such as anger management, drug or alcohol abuse, job training, and GED education. Again, this is not a bad thing but it is curious that these programs are frequently canceled, often run much shorter than their allotted duration, and are repeated with different names. I suspect that the funding comes in regardless of whether or not the class runs its course.

Here in Arizona, visitors must pay a "background check" fee of $25.00 to be allowed to see their loved ones. That's a lot of money considering the number of inmates in the state. Never mind that for an economically struggling single parent, this could be prohibitive, preventing spouses, families, and even parents and kids from being allowed to see each other. I'm sure that there are many who feel that inmates should not have any of these "benefits." This is not the point at hand. There are a number of people and companies that depend upon this captive population to generate revenue, and this puts pressure on legislators and politicians to appease those with a monetary interest in the system. This requires a stream of prisoners with long sentences, paroles and probations with some ludicrous requirements, a violation of which will send them back into the system. To give just a single example I know and 80 year old man who is here because he was two days late in registering his address after moving a few miles away. This is an all too common scenario, but that's not important, keep the money rolling in!