the police state, a growth industry

When James sent me this link, I thought it was a spoof. After closer inspection, I realized this was a real toy. I think (but I'm not certain) it's only available in the US. Don't miss the tags and comments in the Amazon link.

In strangely related news, 1 in 100 Americans are now incarcerated.

A Pew Center report documents that the US keeps more of its citizens behind bars than any other nation, whether calculated per capita or in simple numbers. The so-called "correctional" industry is one of the few growth areas of the US economy: the rate of increase for prison spending was six times greater than spending for higher education.

The Pew Center report is here; the press release is here. The report makes it clear that Americans pay a very high price for all this "correction," but it doesn't make them any safer.

As you may know, in many US states, a felony conviction permanently rescinds a citizen's right to vote. Some states have a "rehabilitation" process, through which a former convict can reapply for voting rights, but the laws are convoluted, arbitrary and difficult to navigate.

Getting back on one's feet after prison is an extremely arduous process, and often fails: more than two-thirds of released prisoners are re-arrested within three years. A felony conviction makes it all but impossible to get a decent job or a loan, whether for education or housing. (This applies to the US war resisters in Canada if they are deported.)

How many people who face those kinds of challenges are going to fight for their right to vote? For more on this, see "Millions Without A Voice," by Amy Goodman.

Does Playmobil have a prison theme yet?

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