23 Comments
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MaryBeth Lathrop's avatar

I have come to believe that the so-called 'war on drugs' is nothing more than an economic enrichment scheme. More police. More jails. More prisons. More staff for all of those. I could go on forever.

Bridget Young's avatar

I'm with you in this. Once you see behind the curtain, Oz just looks silly.

Elizabeth Poland Shugg's avatar

Great job laying all of this out. Unchecked government spending is a huge problem across the board, but the damages seem more impactful when it happens in the prison system. It clearly fuels recidivism and profiteering, and results in more societal harm to those inside AND outside the system. Keep up the great work covering this!

Bridget Young's avatar

Thank you, friend. 🖤

Billie Best's avatar

This is one of your best posts ever. Thank you for all the time you put into it. Like you said, if the system was working, it would be shrinking, not growing. We the taxpayers need to see when a system like healthcare or the prison system has a perverse incentive to increase the problem it is paid to stop. We are rewarding the wrong behavior with our tax dollars.

Bridget Young's avatar

You really have no idea how much this comment means to me. Thank you for reading, for continuing to fight with me.

DC Icepick's avatar

Wow, So much research and information here - makes me very angry! This must get into the hands of our legislators Statewide and locally!!! I need to read this a few more times and take notes!

Bridget Young's avatar

It's really hard to imagine these numbers. 🖤

Laury Boone Browning's avatar

I'm going to join the masses here in terms of this comment thread and thank you for your research, Bridget. Truly, and your passion.

More so, thank you for offering direction I didn't have before. This is what it looks like to do this kind of work: ethos, pathos, logos. It's all here. I'm grateful and I'm printing this.

Bridget Young's avatar

I'm so thankful for you!

Laury Boone Browning's avatar

Likewise! 🙏

Molly McCormick's avatar

This is an excellent article on the biggest capitalistic scam in the US. Thank you for laying out the steps and solutions into action. Appreciate it

Bridget Young's avatar

Thanks, Molly. It's become my life's work somehow... I'm so thankful that other people care.

Emmett Tatter's avatar

I understand your frustration. It’s maddening

Emmett Tatter's avatar

Omg. You layer it all out there Damn great job

Bridget Young's avatar

Thank you, Emmett.

Emmett Tatter's avatar

Put*

Tracy Brooks's avatar

Wow. Thank you for all of your work, this is so relevant and so important, and so connected to all of the current poison we are being fed. I truly appreciate your voice!

Bridget Young's avatar

Thank you for being here, for spreading the word. 🖤

Backroad Portfolio's avatar

This is a well-done report that you should submit to your local media to see if they'll publish it as an opinions/commentary piece. It's hard to argue with the fact that the prison system truly does operate like an "industry."

Bridget Young's avatar

We've so let them run away with it, and bought into the idea that is doing us good. 💔

Chandler Dugal's avatar

The way to reduce crime (by reducing recidivism) is smarter corrections spending. More cages won’t solve anything, and involving the private sector to save money for the taxpayer doesn’t bear out in the long run. The system becomes incentivized to incarcerate more people, not fewer. It is supposed to be a financial burden to the state to incarcerate people. That’s what prevents the state from incarcerating too many people.

Bridget Young's avatar

Please get out a bullhorn for the people in the back!!!