[OFFICIAL] - Prison Industrial Complex

Industry Upset Over Prison Defense Contracts


Oct 19, 2012
Military.com| by Bryant Jordan

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...over-prison-defense-contracts.html?ESRC=eb.nl


Business owners competing for the withering number of U.S. military contracts face a surprising competitor -- American prisoners.

Business owners are crying foul over the number of clothing contracts -- including those for military uniforms -- awarded to Federal Prison Industries, also known as UNICOR.

UNICOR has earned a bevy of Army clothing contracts recently. It manufactures the Army’s Improved Physical Fitness Uniform, and from 2007 to 2011 the company produced about 40 percent of the Army Combat Uniform.

Offering these contracts to a company that employs U.S. inmates at federal prisons across the country for an average wage of 23 cents per hour has often had a negative effect on American small business owners.
Cathy Griffiths, the operations manager for clothing maker American Power Source of Fayette, Ala., said she had to lay off 50 of her 300 employees after UNICOR won the Army’s Improved Physical Fitness Uniform contract.

Of the more than $1 billion a year in federal contracts awarded to UNICOR, about 45 percent are Defense Department contracts. A Pentagon spokeswoman said last year’s total contract awards to UNICOR came to $193 million.

The Defense Department has awarded more than $2 billion in contracts to UNICOR over the past dozen years, according to the USASpending.gov, a website overseen by the Office of Management and Budget.


And it’s not just uniforms. UNICOR also manufactures radios, headsets, and Kevlar helmets -- 44,000 of which the Army recalled because of manufacturing flaws two years ago. U.S. prisoners also produce furniture, for which the Department of Veterans Affairs is a major customer, along with other federal departments and agencies across the government.

"The way the law is -- Federal Prison Industries gets first dibs and contracts up to a certain percentage before they have to compete against us," said Retired Air Force Col. Kurt Wilson, executive vice president of business development and government affairs for American Apparel. "The Army combat uniform, for instance, is an item that they take off the top. As a result, American taxpayers pay more for it -- but the bottom line is each soldier is paying more for their uniform."

Before joining American Apparel, Wilson oversaw uniform and textile contracting for the Defense Logistics Agency. He said American Apparel would charge $29.44 per uniform, but the UNICOR uniform costs $34.18 -- a 15 percent difference.

“Why would the price be higher, considering prisoners are paid so little?” he asked.

The Justice Department, which oversees UNICOR, declined to comment for this story. Spokeswoman Julie Rozier said in an email that contracts are not always awarded based on the lowest price but also on the best value for the government in terms of quantity and delivery processes.

UNICOR “typically falls in the middle” when it comes to costs, she said.
On its website, UNICOR touts the advantages of its operation, which includes 1,175 civil service employees and 13,000 inmates. UNICOR claims to buy half of its procurement needs from small, minority-owned or disadvantaged business, and a nationwide network of facilities.

UNICOR also points out that it does not rely on taxpayer money. All employee salaries and benefits, factory equipment and inmate compensation comes from revenue generated by UNICOR businesses.

The company also rejects the notion that it cuts into the profits of private business and industry. It’s not a business, but a correctional program selling products to the federal government and primarily focused on labor-intensive work providing skills and work experience to inmates, a UNICOR statement reads.

Inmates who work in prison industries or complete any of its vocational or apprenticeship programs are 24 percent less likely to go back to crime and 14 percent more likely to become gainfully employed, according to statistics provided by UNICOR.

“At some point, virtually all … inmates will return to our communities and need to find gainful employment,” according to a UNICOR statement on its website. “[UNICOR] can help them make this transition and become taxpayers rather than tax users.”
However, Griffiths, the operating manager at American Power Source, said UNICOR is hurting private business. Having to let go of 16 percent of her workforce after losing out on the Army’s Improved Physical Fitness Uniform contract hurt, she said.

What is happening is actually an injustice to both American Power Source employees and to the inmates, Griffiths said. She questions if exposing mostly male prisoners to the garment industry will help them find a job when they get out of prison. Thirty of 31 UNICOR clothing facilities are in male prisons.

“In the garment industry, this has always been a working mother’s job -- we work 7 to 3 and the wages, though not always the best, they’re good, decent wages,” Griffiths said.

American Power Source starts people at $9.25 an hour. That may not be much in some places, but it works for women who need a job where they can still be home when school lets out, she said.

“This has always been a good job for mothers. Of the company’s 261 employees, fewer than 10 are men. Sewing is not something men do for a living in the United States," she said.

Wilson believes the business of UNICOR is really just business. Not only does it make or refurbish products or provide services to government directly, UNICOR also now can contract out prison labor to private companies to include operating call centers.

“All the benefits of domestic outsourcing at offshore prices. It's the best kept secret in outsourcing!” UNICOR boasts on its website.

 

Well, me guesses if they are winning huge government contracts then us tax payers monies don't need to go to house violent offenders twice now does it?

 

Judge Mathis Calls U.S. Prison System Modern Day Slavery

http://newsone.com/441552/judge-mathis-calls-u-s-prison-system-modern-day-slavery/



Judge Mathis was on 106th and Park yesterday. He answered questions about his beliefs on the prison system. He criticized the prison system for selling prison labor to various companies for less than a dollar a day.

Mathis pointed out that Black men are 60% of the prison population and also talked about the trap of bad schools and no opportunities that often results in African American men being in prison. Mathis has been actively speaking about the prison industrial complex for some time.

​

 

Shocking video showing inmates with drugs, booze, and a loaded firearm

[youtube]84IgnASvN30[/youtube]​

 

CCA - Corrections Corporation of America

http://www.cca.com/


America’s Leader
in Partnership Corrections


Welcome to CCA, the nation’s leading provider of correctional solutions to federal, state and local government.

Our company – the first of its kind – was founded in 1983. Our approach to public-private partnership in corrections combines the cost savings and innovation of business with the strict guidelines and consistent oversight of government. This has produced proven results for more than three decades.

CCA designs, builds, manages and operates correctional facilities and detention centers on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshals Service, nearly half of all states and nearly a dozen counties across the country.

CCA benefits America by protecting public safety, employing the best people in solid careers, rehabilitating inmates, giving back to communities, and bringing innovative security to government corrections – all while consistently saving hardworking taxpayers’ dollars.

We are America’s Leader in Partnership Corrections.

About CCA

CCA founded the private corrections management industry three decades ago, establishing industry standards for future-focused, forward-thinking correctional solutions. A commitment to innovation, efficiency, cost effectiveness and achievement has made the company the private corrections management provider of choice for federal, state and local agencies since 1983.


As a full-service corrections management provider, CCA specializes in the design, construction, expansion and management of prisons, jails and detention facilities, as well as inmate transportation services through its subsidiary company Transcor America. The company is the fifth-largest corrections system in the nation, behind only the federal government and three states.

CCA houses more than 80,000 inmates in more than 60 facilities, 44 of which are company-owned, with a total bed capacity of more than 90,000. CCA currently partners with all three federal corrections agencies (The Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement), 16 states, more than a dozen local municipalities, and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Since its inception, CCA has maintained its market leadership position in private corrections, managing more than 40 percent of all adult-secure beds under contract with such providers in the United States. The company joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1994 and now trades under the ticker symbol CXW. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, CCA employs nearly 17,000 professionals nationwide in security, academic and vocational education, health services, inmate programs, facility maintenance, human resources, management and administration. The company has been named among “America’s Best Big Companies” by Forbes magazine and ranked number one in the publication’s “Business Services and Supplies” category. G.I.Jobs magazine also named CCA as a “Top 50 Military-Friendly Employer.”

CCA offers offenders a variety of dynamic rehabilitation and education programs, including addictions treatment, GED preparation and testing, post-secondary studies, life skills, employment training, recreational options and work opportunities.

The company also provides valuable economic benefits to its local community partners by paying property, sales and other taxes, and providing a stable employment base that focuses on building careers with unlimited growth and development opportunities. As a strong corporate citizen, recognized by Corporate Responsibilty Officer Manual, CCA contributes generously to host communities through volunteerism and charitable giving.

 

California Prison Offering Inmates $150 Nightly 'Pay to Stay' Rates!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sidesho...50-nightly--pay-to-stay--rates-223622151.html

[youtube]ShrDp3glLZs[/youtube]​

Some prisoner’s in Northern California are upgrading to better living spaces – but only if they’ve got the cash to pay.​

That’s because a jail in Fremont is offering prisoners the chance to pay-as-they-go for a cell in the prison . And the rent isn’t cheap, running $155 a night, the same as a local three star hotel, according to local affiliate WTKR.​

“You do get cable TV, but you don’t get a warm cookie on your bed,” Lt. Mark Devine, of the Fremont Police Department told the station.​

The $10 million minimum security prison is far from luxurious with standard prison beds, shared bathroom and shower space. But it does come with various recreational options, including a HD widescreen TV.​

Built in 2000, the prison facility has 54 beds and can house up to 96 inmates at a time.​

And the space is only eligible to misdemeanor offenders who receive prior approval from a judge.​

While the program is unusual, the Fremont Police Department said that similar “Pay to Stay” programs currently exist in Southern California cities such as Anaheim and Beverly Hills .​

So, why would a prisoner pay so much money to essentially live in the same conditions they’d find in one of the other state prisons? It turns out, they’re not paying for added value, but rather what’s not there.​

“The only other thing you’re really paying for is the smallness and the quietness of the facility,” Devine told WTKR.​

California Governor Jerry Brown was recently tasked with finding ways to reduce the burden of the state’s overcrowded prison system.​

And it could provide an economic boost for the local economy. Devine told the Sacramento Bee that if at least 16 inmates stay at the facility for two nights a week, the city would make an annual profit of about $244,000.​

 

[youtube]ZyLQ9xHcmJY[/youtube]​

 

I see no one comments on this travesty, but if you post some ole' surface BS then everyone and their momma will be on it.

Our "just us" system does more damage to the black race than almost anything else.

 

.....You have to understand, the new consensus from the movers and the shakers in our land, is that there is no more money and patience to pamper and codify......The priority has quietly shifted to cleaning up the streets instead......and thus, the cheapest solution is to build even more prisons to contain at all cost..........So, If a lapse in judgment causes you to get yourself ensnared in the net of justice,.... then a conviction and incarceration will be waiting to change your life forever.........

 

I'm just seeing this thread,glad it was bumped. Basically the system is churning out little criminals/slaves from day 1. It's no coincedence,this was all done by design. Checkout 'The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness' by Michelle Alexander.

 

Having worked as a corrections officer, I have noticed, in little ways, that prison inmates do work a lot for less(when they are fully released, they are given a bus ticket and some money). There was a program called PRIDE(l forgot what it stood for). This program produced products that are used by folks everyday like notebooks, clothing(there was a garment factory in the prison)and other things. It was said that the inmates get some of the profits(when they get out). In the classic film Stir Crazy, the inter prison rodeo scene was an example of the prison industrial complex. But, it is the outside interests that profit from it all.

 

This is corruption of the worst kind. Modern day corporate slave labor in the U.S. on the backs of inmates and subsidized by the U.S. government by awarding contracts to private prison firms.

There was a time when the mainstream media reported on this kind of story, but not anymore.

You can have all your conspiracy theories or opinions about how broken our country/government is, but I don't think there's any worse example than this.

Why is it that we have draconian laws on the books that require mandatory sentencing for non-violent drug offenders?? Because the prison industrial complex needs a steady supply of free labor.

I always wondered where the incentive was for investors who start up these privatelly controlled prisons, and it's not in being paid by states and local governments to incarcerate inmates.

The real revenue stream is from the slave labor that provides the production foundation for multiple cottage prison industries.

Not only are small entrepreneurs undercut by these practices hurting the country's economic development, we're supporting a vicious cycle within the justice system where there's a direct financial incentive to lockup as many people as possible to supply theses prison industries with labor.

This isn't a byproduct of new, tougher law enforcement policies born out of frustration in dealing with a criminal underclass in this country. These are addicts, casual users and low level dealers who are being sent to prison for non-violent crimes....by design. It's built into the system.

There are even more White counterparts who could populate prisons for the same crimes, but that would be more of a public outrage.
More Blacks in prison is just the normal status quo for most Americans.
Nothing to see here. Move along.:smt012

 

I have seen about an equal number of black and white inmates in prison. It all depends on where they are working. Some inmates do clerical work. Some do services like giving hair cuts and shining shoes. Some even learn trades. Some can even record a demo tape(instrument and vocal)of their talents. Inmates can have musical instruments. Some can even work on getting college and university degrees. I had not seen any cruelty when I was a corrections officer. I had seen a couple of fights. And heard about an inmate who was shot and killed while trying to escape.

 

My biggest complaint are all the people who go to jail because of B.S. laws, then end up being a career criminal when they would normally have either grew out of getting into trouble just plain would have not gotten into trouble again.

 

Bet.

THe best way to get someone who's not inherently criminal to get out of that cycle of getting into petty scraps with the law over possession is to get them a JOB.

This country would rather give people jobs IN PRISON instead of employ them before they ever get to that point.

It pisses me off that inmates are considered suitable employees when incarcerated, but people will give you a million reasons why these same people before they got arrested are 'not employable'.

 

I remember an inmate who had spent most of his time in prison to the study and research of cocaine. For over 20 years he studied everything there is to know about cocaine. He became an authority on it. Instead of providing his findings to provide awareness(when he gets out), he chose to design a new type of cocaine that will have the prolonged euphoria, but will not have the addictive effects. I also met an inmate who said that he committed a victimless crime and the judge sent him to FSP(Florida State Prison)out of spite. I didn't know what he did but, it had to be something serious. Ironically, I knew him in middle and high school. It was awkward meeting in these circumstances, him as an inmate and me as a correctional officer. It was so awkward it was dangerous. Prison inmates have opportunities like getting college and university degrees, free medical and dental care. It is all paid for by our tax dollars. Some institutions have a recording studio for inmates who are musicians, or who aspire to be musicians. They can record demo tapes to send off. The biggest event in prison is the holiday Ramadan. Some inmates who are not even Muslim join for the holiday. The kitchen cooks fried chicken for those worshippers. The inmates also have opportunities to learn trades. But, unfortunately, some inmates just want to learn other ways to commit crimes and not get caught the next time. The most common reason I've heard as to why they were in prison is that they lived in broken homes and didn't have a strong father figure in their lives.

 

New Study Proves African American Males Are Targeted For Arrest More Than Other Group

Study: Black males SPECIFICALLY targeted for arrest, even for crimes white suspects offend more at, or when no crime occured

http://politicalblindspot.com/new-s...e-targeted-for-arrest-more-than-other-groups/


A new study released in the journal Crime & Delinquency makes the bold assertion that almost half of males in the United States have been arrested by the time they are 23-years-old. More importantly, it’s data shows a discrepancy of around 10% between African American and Caucasian male arrest rates. But far from this demonstrating higher crime rates in African American communities, the data reveals something altogether different which most have overlooked.

To begin with, the study focuses on data from teens and young adults, demonstrating about half of African American teens and young adults have been arrested, with almost 40% of Caucasians trailing just behind them. Now hold that thought, we’ll get to what else the study says and then come back to that.....

Brame, a professor of criminology from the University of South Carolina and the head the study, explained that this is the first report since the 1960s that demonstrates there is a greater risk of being arrested in the United States if you are African American and male.

The study looked at arrest rates amongst females of different backgrounds, but saw little variation as compared to males of different ethnic groups. Brame says that there is a need to develop an understanding of the economic, social and law enforcement factors that influence this discrepancy in which groups get arrested more often.

“As a society, we often worry a great deal about the effects of children watching television, eating junk food, playing sports and having access to good schools,” Brame said. “Experiencing formal contact with the criminal justice system could also have powerful effects on behavior and impose substantial constraints on opportunities for America’s youth. We know from our two studies that these experiences are prevalent and that they vary across different demographic groups. Going forward it will be constructive to support systematic studies into the sources of these variations and to continue efforts to understand the effects of criminal justice interventions on sanctions on future behavior.”

The study reveals a few startling points which can lead us to a few conclusions regarding racism in the United States.

Some have suggested this data demonstrates that crime rates are higher in African American neighborhoods. But this is not at all what the study shows. The data also demonstrates Caucasian women are more likely to be arrested than African American women. If crime itself was higher amongst African Americans, then we should expect to see the crime rate higher amongst African American women too. Instead, we find just the opposite.

First, by age 18, 30% of African America males, 26% of Hispanic males and 22% of Caucasian males have been arrested. Similarly, by age 23, 49% of African American males, 44% of Hispanic males and 38% of Caucasian males have been arrested.

But the report also found that by age 18, arrest rates were 12% for Caucasian females and 11.8% and 11.9% for Hispanic and African American females, respectively. Similarly, by age 23, arrest rates were 20% for Caucasian females and 18% and 16% for Hispanic and African America females, respectively.

This data disproves claims made by people who believe that African American males are arrested in higher numbers because African Americans commit more crimes. Some who make these claims believe this is because of racial inferiority. Others believe that they are not racist, but that African Americans commit more crimes because of social issues. But the thing that both have over-looked is the fact that in either scenario, we should see African American female arrest rates higher than Caucasian rates unless there is something very different going on.

Because we see just the opposite, we must reach a different conclusion. That conclusion is that African American males specifically are targeted by law enforcement for arrest at higher rates than any other group. African American females are often not perceived by predominantly Caucasian law enforcement officers as a “threat”. Without knowing it, Professor Brame’s study has revealed something that African Americans have been saying for generations.

 

This needs its own thread.

WW are arrested more than BW while BM are arrested more than WM....hmmmm

 

I agree it needs it's own thread but it isn't surprising. The statistics should be the same with but clearly show a racist agenda for men. You expect if majority of the nation is [insert race] then most arrest will be the same. but for men it is different. This should be addressed by the naacp.