Americas Judicial System

The United States leads the world in incarceration and addiction, but it is only the 36th most violent country in the world. How can that be?

 

Americas judicial system is a system of injustice that was built upon exploiting people in poverty and of color.

 

As long as prisoners are commodities, and society continues to allow for-profit prison systems focused on retribution and punishment, there will never be true justice and equality. There will be no peace. 

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While the US has 5% of the world's population; we currently house 25% of the entire worlds' prisoners (2.1 million). About 400,000 people are currently incarcerated right now in the US for drug related convictions alone, with 40k of those being due to marijuana; which is already recreationally legal in 19 states and medically legal in 39 states.​

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$80 BILLION - That's how much money is funneled into the private prison industry through government aid and taxpayers' funds per year; but still, prisoners are provided the bare minimum to survive and charged exorbitant prices for any other commodities or services they wish to consume including foods; hygiene products; and even phone calls to loved ones. 

 

Inmates in most prisons are inside 23 hours a day, with virtually no intellectual stimulation or productive activities. Then upon release, these men and women are expected to instantly re-integrate and be a productive member of society. 

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Much of society's and the government's perspective has been "if you do the crime you pay the time" - except, of course, for me and my family. Most of us can see clearly by now that law makers don't actually intend to apply the laws they pass to themselves or their loved ones. So, today there are thousands of laws with hundreds being added every year; some of which many of us break commonly, knowingly, and unknowingly. 

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A moral judicial system invests in the offender. With compassion and understanding, it should teach us how to right our wrongs with action.