this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2024
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A Boring Dystopia
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Looking at this idiocy from a purely practical perspective, surely housing the homeless by sending them to prison is not the most economical solution. I suppose it probably means someone's brother-in-law gets to build more for-profit prisons though.
In prison you're forced to work, so they're just expanding the slave class we have in the US.
Might also note that prisons in capitalist states treat the act of housing a prisoner as economic productivity, while activities performed by the houseless are treated as valueless.
When all you care about is economic growth, a very expensive cage is preferable to low rent housing or ignoring the problem. Better for the stock market. Better for the careers of prison guards, wardens, and prosecutors. Better for politicians who get to brag about "clean streets"
The cost of keeping someone in (EDIT: SOME prisons) is nearly $1000 daily.
That's the monthly national minimum wage.
That's okay though because they force the prisoners to pay for their imprisonment and that turns into debt the prison company or state can collect on.
Source on those figures? Not that I doubt you. I just need to cite for stupid.
https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-do-states-spend-on-prisons/
So not nearly that much but $65k is $175 per person per day. That's over triple national minimum wage