The America’s with Simon Reeve

[Thor]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

[Real Al]

Thankfully in Europe we have the EU dedicated to protecting the human rights of all its citizens.

Oh.

[Chief crazy horse]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

By comparison then, it must be heaven living in either Russia or China.

[tuffers#1]

Jim Jeffries on American Freedumb

[F*ck The Poor & Fat]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

By comparison then, it must be heaven living in either Russia or China.

Do we know with any certainty how China and Russia deal with their criminals and exactly what steps they take to deter in the first place. The 25% figure is good TV but is it accurate?

As for jail time for not paying a fine, probably a week in the clink at most, if at all. I dare say mitigating circumstances are considered, but if people are fined yet can pay and choose to act in contempt of the court, don’t blame the court.

[Long slender neck]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

Going to need some evidence for all this.

[Thor]

Watch the programme on iplayer then, it was decent to be fair.

[Long slender neck]

No I wont. You havent verified the claims in the programme then?

[F*ck The Poor & Fat]

Watch the programme on iplayer then, it was decent to be fair.

Will do. Though I will admit when I look at programmes like this I feel what they say may well be a distortion of the real truth to aid programme interest. Sensational is more interesting than the boring real truth. Not suggesting they lie, just selective use of data.

[spen666]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

By comparison then, it must be heaven living in either Russia or China.

Do we know with any certainty how China and Russia deal with their criminals and exactly what steps they take to deter in the first place. The 25% figure is good TV but is it accurate?

As for jail time for not paying a fine, probably a week in the clink at most, if at all. I dare say mitigating circumstances are considered, but if people are fined yet can pay and choose to act in contempt of the court, don’t blame the court.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/u ... 2page1.stm


I'm not sure of the date these figures relate to

[Proposition Joe]

What noone can deny is the vested interest big business has in the US prison industry - profits are threatened unless the prisons are full and as last night's programme outlined, some communities are almost entirely reliant on the prison industry as their main source of employment and subsequent income generation.

[bobo66]

Watch the programme on iplayer then, it was decent to be fair.

Will do. Though I will admit when I look at programmes like this I feel what they say may well be a distortion of the real truth to aid programme interest. Sensational is more interesting than the boring real truth. Not suggesting they lie, just selective use of data.

Don't all TV documentaries do that?

[Mikero]

I thought the programme was well balanced and just shows how incarceration is seen as the only solution to crime in the US. If their local authorities see motorists as a 'cash cow' as our's do then you can well see how someone on welfare could end up in prison as fines escalate for non payment. Mitigation is not a word I have ever heard being attached to the US justice system.

Evidently the mental health system is even more corrupt with people being sectioned for minor things, held and quieted with drugs til their health insurance runs out and then thrown out on the street which then makes them vunerable to the prison system. The clinic owners even offer a bounty to teachers to point out 'difficult' teenagers they can lift off the street.

Mikero

[Clive Evans]

I watched the first episode and was severely disappointed. He went to several communities and touched on global warming, the effects of modern technology, treatment of indigenous people etc. He spent about ten minutes or less on each topic. These things are far more complicated than his superficial treatment could give justice too. I thought it was a programme of sound bites. As Oscar Wilde intelligently noted "The truth is rarely pure and never simple."

[tuffers#1]

I watched the first episode and was severely disappointed. He went to several communities and touched on global warming, the effects of modern technology, treatment of indigenous people etc. He spent about ten minutes or less on each topic. These things are far more complicated than his superficial treatment could give justice too. I thought it was a programme of sound bites. As Oscar Wilde intelligently noted "The truth is rarely pure and never simple."

Last nights episode was far more upto speed .

Giant Redwoods California Fires &
Californias massive Homelessness problem

45,000 people homeless in Americas 8th richest state .

Shocking .

[jamespevans]

No I wont. You havent verified the claims in the programme then?

Like the fact that all assertions on here from now on need to be evidence based. Just checking that you will be consistent with this approach Caca!

[Disoriented]

No I wont. You havent verified the claims in the programme then?

Like the fact that all assertions on here from now on need to be evidence based. Just checking that you will be consistent with this approach Caca!

Please show some respect for our new moderator.

[StillSpike]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

Going to need some evidence for all this.

Haven't you seen The Shawshank Redemption ? The evidence is all there. Open your eyes.

[Long slender neck]

No I wont. You havent verified the claims in the programme then?

Like the fact that all assertions on here from now on need to be evidence based. Just checking that you will be consistent with this approach Caca!

You prefer fake news?

[Adz]

What noone can deny is the vested interest big business has in the US prison industry - profits are threatened unless the prisons are full and as last night's programme outlined, some communities are almost entirely reliant on the prison industry as their main source of employment and subsequent income generation.

Eurgh, another example of the failures of capitalism. Hopefully the future will see us move to a more enlightened system

[Thor]

Such as?

[EH16]

I caught this programme about half way through last night. He went to Dever where they have a prison industry, massive number of prisoners, massive numbers of prison workers, big profits and the biggest employer in the state by far.

It was stated in the programme that America houses 25% of the planets prisoners. Let that sink in.

If you are a person of colour you’ll more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were poor you were more likely to be jailed at some point, if you were homeless you were likely to be jailed at some point. The prison business is massive and the corporations running them need people to be banged up and so the circle continues to spin. An example used was a person gets done for a broken tail light, gets fined and fails to pay the fine a warrant is issued and they are promptly put in jail.

The people it was said are living in fear of what the state will do to them, this is supposedly the country of the free.

Land of the free? At the last election they voted to imprison themselves in the biggest prison ever built (that's essentially what Trump's wall is). Society is rotten to the core.