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Race?

Race?. Women’s work. … and the poor get prison. Three failures in Pyrrhic defeat. 1. Failure to reduce crime and its harm Crime remains high, even as identified 2. Failure to identify crimes of the rich Harmful acts of the poor are criminalized 3. Failure to eliminate economic/racial bias

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Race?

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  1. Race?

  2. Women’s work

  3. … and the poor get prison

  4. Three failures in Pyrrhic defeat 1. Failure to reduce crime and its harm • Crime remains high, even as identified 2. Failure to identify crimes of the rich • Harmful acts of the poor are criminalized 3. Failure to eliminate economic/racial bias • People punished are mostly poor/minorities

  5. How does it persist? • Not explaining origins or causes • Historical inertia explanation • Failing system benefits rich and powerful • Middle classes blames the poor • System ‘proves’ poor are the threat • Profits from prisons • When it doesn’t work, people demand more

  6. ‘Not harshly enough’ Source: General Social Survey

  7. Middle class blames the poor • ‘Typical criminal’ image is a poor man • Crime as personal deviance • What causes crime? Criminals. • Supports individualist ideology • Undermines class consciousness • Harmful acts of the rich not questioned • Crime affects poor the most anyway

  8. Victimization by income Source: BJS, "Criminal Victimization, 2004".

  9. Ideology of criminal justice • Extension of Marx on ideology • False consciousness • Punishing individuals • By definition, individual responsibility • Acquits the social order • Existing order is defined as the standard • Presumption of political neutrality • E.g., current property relations protected

  10. To the victors go the spoils Prison Realty Trust Presents: Eloy Detention Center (Arizona)

  11. Profits from prisons Source: Private Corrections Project.

  12. Corrections Corp. of America • 63 facilities • 62,000 inmates • Prisons, Jails, INS detention centers • Investor profits • Government savings • Local jobs • Board from gov., heavy industry, media, banks

  13. Youngstown, Ohio prison • 1,700 prisoners from D.C. • Outsourcing prisoners • Undermines rehabilitation • Separates families • Mixed-security prisoners • 40 assaults, 2 deaths • Poorly trained staff Source: PRT website, Washington Post.

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