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TIL 40 states in the US charge you $20-$80 a day for being incarcerated in prison. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

47 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Very weird that I am so old and have literally never heard this mentioned in a TV show or book or movie or anything.

In four out of five states, if you go to prison, you are literally paying for the time you spend there.

As you can guess, this results in crippling debt as soon as you're released.

The county gets back a fraction of what they hold over your head the rest of your life until you commit suicide(or die naturally and peacefully with the sword of damocles hanging over your head).

$20-$80 a day according to Rutgers.

Counties apparently sue people and employ wage garnishment to get back the money that majority of people obviously cannot pay back.

https://www.rutgers.edu/news/states-unfairly-burdening-incarcerated-people-pay-stay-fees

top 47 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

I read the wiki page. Pretty barebones, but it did link to https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34705968

In theory, I could entertain an argument about having criminals repay some of the costs of dealing with them, that's not what's going on here.

The sum that is able to be collected doesn't go straight into the county coffers, either - the jail contracts with a company

The jail gets 30%, the company gets 70%.

It really just looks like just another way to exploit prisoners for profit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

The very idea is absurd. It is so counter productive to the idea of rehabilitation. The prisons themselves say they aren't a significant revenue stream. Trying to offset the cost of a societal need by charging fees to prisons doesn't even make any sense. And the companies that are tasked with collecting this debt get 70% of what they collect which means that even the argument about offsetting the state's cost doesn't make sense.

It's profit seeking, counter productive cruelty and that's it. Just shameful.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Might be somewhat acceptable if a job was available while in prison to support these living expenses. That at least might improve confidence and start the rehabilitation process.

Oh wait, who am I kidding. Prison has nothing to do with rehabilitation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Believe it or not if you can't pay.. straight to jail

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

How to absolutely destroy your net worth:

Step 1: go to prison

There is no step 2.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That's the beauty of both ruling parties being 100% in support of the prison industrial complex. In fact, our current president even helped usher through the '94 Crime Bill, which keeps prisons nice and full for his golf buddies and institutional donors.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (2 children)

so then vote for trump, right? gtfooh

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Oh no! somebody criticized Biden!

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (2 children)

criticize him all you want... after he's elected.

we all hate the either/or state of american politics, but it's still the reality. live in reality, ppl.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (2 children)

You consent to all these issues with your vote for Dems. I on the other hand will express democracy by voting for a candidate that opposes this: Jill Stein.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoiler_effect

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Biden or Trump winning is a major loss. Instead build a better party instead of complaining.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Biden or Trump winning is a major loss.

They aren't equal. They're both shit, but they aren't equal. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather keep my right to vote, which is under threat thanks to the likes of Trump.

Instead build a better party instead of complaining.

Not seeing anything you've built. All I see is you complaining about Biden and Trump.

If you want better, we need electoral reform. Our current system is mathematically biased against third parties.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

How do you think you get electoral reform? Because the democrats sure as hell are never gonna give it to you if you keep voting for their garbage bottom of the barrel candidates. American politics really are a shit show, you're trying to act like you're the reasonable one but getting so damn belligerent.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

How do you think you get electoral reform?

Mass protests, general strikes, voting in progressives that actually stand a chance, etc.

Because the democrats sure as hell are never gonna give it to you

I know they won't, which is why you vote in the primaries.

You know who sure as hell are never gonna give it to you? Third party candidates. You can't make reform if you don't get voted into office in the first place.

you keep voting for their garbage bottom of the barrel candidates.

Genrrallt you don't get bottom of the barrel candidates if you actually work to put forth good candidates in the primaries. And a bottom of the barrel democrat with always be better than an outright fascist republican.

you’re trying to act like you’re the reasonable one but getting so damn belligerent.

Hey, if you don't like how I'm responding, maybe don't start with saying things like

"build a better party instead of complaining."

Practice what you speak.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Name one time when you havent gotten a bottom of the barrel candidate? Look what they did to my boy Bernie. He wasn't even ideal but at least he had a shot and the democrats you're praising tanked him. They're playing you, intentionally holding up an awful boogeyman constantly and saying "if you don't vote for our piece of shit we're gonna give you the bigger piece of shit." The only way to win is not to play their game. Maybe if they lose enough voters they'll get the message but they sure as hell won't if you keep letting them win.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Name one time when you havent gotten a bottom of the barrel candidate?

Summer Lee

I've voted for her at least 4 times now to get her into office and keep her there throughout the last few primaries and generals.

Look what they did to my boy Bernie.

I am well aware, and I'm pissee off about that too. It should have been Bernie for the last 8 years.

He wasn’t even ideal but at least he had a shot and the democrats you’re praising tanked him.

I think you don't understand where I am coming from. In no way am I praising the democrats that tanked him.

They’re playing you, intentionally holding up an awful boogeyman constantly and saying “if you don’t vote for our piece of shit we’re gonna give you the bigger piece of shit.”

Yeah, I know they're using it to their advantage. It shitty as fuck, and a direct result of our electoral system. They know that third parties aren't viable due to the mathematical requirement of the spoiler effect being a part of our current system. So they use it to their advantage.

But there is the thing, under Trump, we may lose our right to vote. We might end up seeing a true dictatorship. He's already floating the idea of a second Jan 6th.

I'd rather live in the current corporate run dystopia than an outright fascist version called Gilead.

The only way to win is not to play their game.

Yeah, I'm really going to feel like I'm winning when I'm lined up against a wall under the next Trump administration.

Maybe if they lose enough voters they’ll get the message but they sure as hell won’t if you keep letting them win.

The Biden campaign managers know they're losing voters to this shit, they aren't that stupid. They're gambling that the status quo will land them the most votes. It's fucking stupid, but they clearly don't care about losing votes to this issue.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Summer Lee

The one who just voted for the military industrial complex with H.R.8035?

I am well aware, and I’m pissee off about that too. It should have been Bernie for the last 8 years.

You continue to vote for a party that has a rigged primary with super delegates.

I’d rather live in the current corporate run dystopia than an outright fascist version called Gilead.

Remember you consented to this.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

The one who just voted for the military industrial complex with H.R.8035?

The request was for "not bottom of the barrel", not perfect. If you're looking for a perfect politician, you've defined an impossible task.

You continue to vote for a party that has a rigged primary with super delegates.

No. I vote against the worst, the party openly embracing fascism.

Remember you consented to this.

I'd rather consent to corporate run dystopia than fascism.

Meanwhile you're consenting to fascism with your choice to throw away your vote. You do not have the high ground here.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The request was for “not bottom of the barrel”, not perfect. If you’re looking for a perfect politician, you’ve defined an impossible task.

We have different standards. I couldn't live with myself voting for billions to Raytheon and Boeing like you do.

No. I vote against the worst, the party openly embracing fascism.

You could do that without voting for "corporate run dystopia" by voting green party.

I’d rather consent to corporate run dystopia than fascism.

I'm consenting to neither.

Meanwhile you’re consenting to fascism with your choice to throw away your vote. You do not have the high ground here.

Nope. You just admitted that you are. This is how voting works lmao. I'm literally not by casting a vote against it, and you are.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

We have different standards. I couldn’t live with myself voting for billions to Raytheon and Boeing like you do.

Voting for a politician is not an open agreement with every action they take. I didn't vote for billions to go to war manufacturers. I voted against Trump.

You could do that without voting for “corporate run dystopia” by voting green party.

Thus splitting the vote and landing us in Gilead, no thanks. I don't want to get killed by the state for being LGBTQ+

I’m consenting to neither.

I’m literally not by casting a vote against it, and you are.

Gonna straight up steal from a different user.

"Voting does sort of make you complicit, honestly.

But guess what? Not voting also makes you complicit. So does voting in a way that has no chance of having an effect based on the current rules.

Basically, existing as an eligible voter, at least in a country where voting isn't rigged (so like, Russians are off the hook here, for example) makes you complicit in your government's actions.

That's kind of a big point of being in a democratic society - we are all, every one of us, responsible for the actions of our government.

And if you don't like that responsibility, I get it, I totally sympathize, because I agree. I hate that responsibility, especially cause I know damn well I'm not qualified to make those decisions. But I still am responsible, and pretending I'm not doesn't change that."

https://lemmy.world/comment/9735774

So bullshit. I'm assuming you voted 3rd party in 2016. You chose to vote in a way that had no chance of having any effect to stave off Trump. So you are complicit in Trump. You consented to Trump. And thanks to people like you, we are now losing abortion access. The SCOTUS is now openly debating if a president can have political opponents killed. The road of fascism we are heading down is directly a result of people limply throwing pissing their vote into the wind.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Voting for a politician is not an open agreement with every action they take. I didn’t vote for billions to go to war manufacturers.

You literally did, and are planning to in November.

I voted against Trump.

Same here, by voting for the green party.

Thus splitting the vote and landing us in Gilead, no thanks. I don’t want to get killed by the state for being LGBTQ+

Nope. Most green voters I've convinced have been non-voters. They are the biggest voting block.

That’s kind of a big point of being in a democratic society - we are all, every one of us, responsible for the actions of our government.

They just described why I vote green party.

And if you don’t like that responsibility, I get it, I totally sympathize, because I agree. I hate that responsibility, especially cause I know damn well I’m not qualified to make those decisions. But I still am responsible, and pretending I’m not doesn’t change that.

Yes, that's why we're responsible for building a better party, very simple to understand.

So bullshit. I’m assuming you voted 3rd party in 2016. You chose to vote in a way that had no chance of having any effect to stave off Trump. So you are complicit in Trump. You consented to Trump. And thanks to people like you, we are now losing abortion access. The SCOTUS is now openly debating if a president can have political opponents killed. The road of fascism we are heading down is directly a result of people limply throwing pissing their vote into the wind.

I'm proud I did not consent to Trump or Clinton in 2016, you did. Green have a chance because Dems and Republicans are terrible. You're just a scared, disenfranchised little child that can't make your own decisions. I am responsible for improving my government, which is why I'm building a better option in the Green party. You do nothing but whine and submit to fascism, pathetic.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Belittling people is rarely a good dialectical tactic, and speaks to your own level of maturity. If this is the type of discourse employed by green party supporters and campaign volunteers, I'll be staying away.

Based on what I've seen of your post history here, you're a combative ideologue who's not interested in building anything other than ill-will, with seemingly zero desire to talk about anything that doesn't give you an opportunity to aggressively proselytize. You seem to turn every conversation you have into an abrasive display of your moral superiority, repeating the same talking points ad nauseum while abandoning any points that shift out of your favor.

Perhaps you hope that you can activate non-voters with your accusatory, venomous, divisive rhetoric, but I struggle to see how that strategy will be beneficial should a Green candidate make it to the Presidency. Coalition building with the Democratic party will absolutely be necessary to get Green legislation through congress early on; It seems short-sighted to belittle and alienate those who vote closest to your interests on the political spectrum by equating them with those who vote furthest from your interests. Ideals are important, but game theory underpins all political action and must be considered.

Further, RCV does not require the Green party to be implemented. Many states have been experimenting with RCV (and other alternative voting systems) without leadership from the Green party (source). That trend has been picking up steam across the nation.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Belittling people is rarely a good dialectical tactic, and speaks to your own level of maturity.

Only in response to their claims, I am not "belittling" them, they made those statements themselves that they consent to "corporate facism", I do not.

If this is the type of discourse employed by green party supporters and campaign volunteers, I’ll be staying away.

That's fine, I'm targeting non-voters.

Based on what I’ve seen of your post history here, you’re a combative ideologue who’s not interested in building anything other than ill-will, with seemingly zero desire to talk about anything that doesn’t give you an opportunity to aggressively proselytize.

That is necessary considering how heavy handed pro-capitalist propaganda is. What would you like to discuss?

You seem to turn every conversation you have into an abrasive display of your moral superiority, repeating the same talking points ad nauseum while abandoning any points that shift out of your favor.

The truth is hard to accept, and I am not ashamed of being against fascist corporate control of our economy, regardless of how hard you try to make me conceed that. Now provide an example of me abandoing any point that has been "out of my favor".

Perhaps you hope that you can activate non-voters with your accusatory, venomous, divisive rhetoric, but I struggle to see how that strategy will be beneficial should a Green candidate make it to the Presidency.

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voter-turnout-2018-2022/ There is plenty, in fact it is often a majority.

Coalition building with the Democratic party will absolutely be necessary to get Green legislation through congress early on; It seems short-sighted to belittle and alienate those who vote closest to your interests on the political spectrum by equating them with those who vote furthest from your interests. Ideals are important, but game theory underpins all political action and must be considered.

The Democratic party will not be there to offer a coalition. They spend millions trying to prevent Greens from even being on the ballot. Your "game theory" is wrong considering you used nonfactual inputs. The only path towards progress is rejecting all pro-capitalist actors, which will more than make up for it with support from the poor working class.

Further, RCV does not require the Green party to be implemented. Many states have been experimenting with RCV (and other alternative voting systems) without leadership from the Green party (source). That trend has been picking up steam across the nation.

Gaslighting at it finest, I never claimed the Green party was necessary for RCV to be implemented, only the Democrats will fight against it since it hurts their chances against third parties. The trend has been by ballot initiatives, not Democratic legislation.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Only in response to their claims, I am not “belittling” them, they made those statements themselves that they consent to “corporate facism”, I do not.

You straight up called me a dumbass because I disagreed with you.

Yeah, get the fuck out of here. /u/LengAwaits is right, if this is what the green party stands for, fuck off.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You straight up called me a dumbass because I disagreed with you.

You said that yourself.

Yeah, get the fuck out of here. /u/LengAwaits is right, if this is what the green party stands for, fuck off.

Don't want your help, targeting non voters not brainwashed liberals.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You said that yourself.

Go gaslight someone else.

https://lemmy.world/comment/9837122

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

I’d rather live in the current corporate run dystopia than an outright fascist version called Gilead.

This you? You did say it yourself.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

you mean to tell me you're going to vote for jill stein in november? what state do you live in? it better not be a battle ground state

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Absolutely, because she is the candidate of the largest party I agree with.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

do you understand how american elections work? are you in a battleground state?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That is how elections work, I'm the one acting democratically here

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

DO. YOU. LIVE. IN. A BATTLEGROUND STATE?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Irrelevant. Stein is closest to what I support, so I vote for her.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

i'm not going to argue with you. i can see from your comment history that you're a lost cause. you are damning people to consequences they don't deserve, which makes you no different from conservatives. you are effectively the enemy and deserve to be treated the same.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

you are damning people to consequences they don’t deserve

This is you telling poor people to vote for wealthy Dems

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

this is me telling you to pull your head out of your ass and think about consequences. stop replying to me. i have nothing more to say to you, traitor.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

this is me telling you to pull your head out of your ass and think about consequences

You can't even accept you consent to bombing children in Gaza with your Biden vote.

stop replying to me. i have nothing more to say to you, traitor.

You lost the argument, and now are trying to find a way out lmao.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You can’t even accept you consent to bombing children in Gaza with your Biden vote.

nah. my vote doesn't mean that. what a very dumb thing to say, traitor.

You lost the argument, and now are trying to find a way out lmao.

lol. you're fucking delusional, traitor.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

nah. my vote doesn’t mean that. what a very dumb thing to say, traitor.

It literally does whether you want to accept it or not. We provide money and weapons to bomb children, you vote in support of the president doing this.

lol. you’re fucking delusional, traitor.

The only traitor here is you voting for corporate fascism, willfully voting in support of the rich.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

nope. fuck off.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The truth hurts

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

after he's elected

what?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago

what don't you understand about my statement?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I vote third party.

Choosing between a giant douche and a turd sandwich isn't very appealing to me.

Also, people like you pretending you didn't need the votes of people like me is how we got Trump in the first place.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago

sure. hold humanity hostage because you can't get exactly what you want, traitor. i'm not going to kiss your ass to vote for practical results. if you're too blind to see what you're doing, you can live with the consequences. i have a feeling you have a lot more time left on this planet than i do, junior.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago

Back on my day prison was a nickle and we liked it.