The state prison systems are so toxic for so many reasons. There is an attitude that people in prison get what they deserve, or at least there is on strong constituency for prison reform. So you get guards who are no better than gang members or guards who prey on prisoners. And its not just the guards. The phone calls and prison commissary are incredibly expensive / profitable and those contracts usually are given out based on bribes or kickbacks. This country really needs a good prison reform movement. Prisoners should not live in luxury. But its should not be a jungle where the weaker ones are being beaten and raped either.
All good points.
Im so happy to read this. I agree. Prison reform could be an issue that all good people from both sides could come together on. We arent caging animals, we are incarcerating humans. It seems that what we have now is a place for predators to abuse a captive group. (like hunting at the zoo)
I know that prisoners have (mostly) done egregious things to be there and I want them punished and removed from society but this is getting so bad.