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Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

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Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#41

Post by corford »

felixc wrote: post #39
corford wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Start a kickstarter campaign to create a not for profit, ethical competitor to JPay? Providing the prisons still get a similar commission (which according to the article isn't where the lion's share of the fees comes from), why wouldn't they opt to go with a payments firm that gives them good PR? Edit: alternatively, maybe the stripe guys could fund/seed a philanthropic off-shoot to tackle this?

Because of this (quoting from the article): "To impress state corrections officials and gain their business, JPay spends heavily on industry conventions attended by agency heads with contracting authority. During a 2012 convention of the American Correctional Association, the company threw what it called an “END OF THE WORLD PARTY” at a Denver wine bar that bills itself as “about you, and your inalienable right to th…

That actually makes it easier. Build a non-profit competitor, get the press, charities & public behind it and shame the fuckers in to switching. With material like that it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#43

Post by felixc »

corford wrote: post #41
felixc wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because of this (quoting from the article): "To impress state corrections officials and gain their business, JPay spends heavily on industry conventions attended by agency heads with contracting authority. During a 2012 convention of the American Correctional Association, the company threw what it called an “END OF THE WORLD PARTY” at a Denver wine bar that bills itself as “about you, and your inalienable right to th…

That actually makes it easier. Build a non-profit competitor, get the press, charities & public behind it and shame the fuckers in to switching. With material like that it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

One would hope so, but I suspect that they don't care about public perception, and a surprisingly large slice of the public would actually be supportive of punitive treatment of prisoners' families.

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#44

Post by discardorama »

pan69 wrote: post #32
discardorama wrote: post #25

I don't understand. Why can't the state let a bank put a bloody ATM (or several) in a common area, and let the inmates use debit cards? My blood pressure was shooting up as I read that article. I don't mind people charging a fee for providing better service. But in this case, this human leech is just spreading more misery. Why must these people abuse others this way? I hope, when he is on his deathbed, this fucker su…

>> Why can't the state let a bank put a bloody ATM (or several) in a common area, and let the inmates use debit cards? This is what you get in a privatised system. Money must be made and an ATM in the common area is not going to do that. http://www.alternet.org/story/155199/private_prison_corporat...

Is it any wonder then, that when the prisoners get out, they turn to crime? We are subjecting them to a selfish, dog-eat-dog world every day; we are harassing them, taking advantage of them (and their families) when they're the weakest; and then we expect them to come out and behave like model citizens??

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#45

Post by noonespecial »

brudgers wrote: post #38
noonespecial wrote: post #8

So they bribe and kick-back their way through the year and then throw a big party (ahh 'convention') in Vegas where they give each other awards while sucking down premium liquor, hand-rolled cigars, and no doubt metric tons of the stuff half of their inmates are in prison for. The pigs from 1984 would blush over this stuff.

Animal Farm is Orwell 's dystopia with pigs.

Doh. Dys-topia-phasia strikes me yet again.

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#46

Post by rayiner »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #40
rayiner wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But when the government privatizes services, that agency problem always exists. Instead of contracting to one service like any other entity, government would always need to contract with several. You're just making a stronger argument for not privitizing government services. Moreover, laying all the blame at the feet of government for these companies being scumbags is precisely why I said private industry has the wro…

>Instead of contracting to one service like any other entity, government would always need to contract with several No, the government is the entity making a selection among several choices, and is the entity in the position to negotiate the rates. Therefore they could bargain for lower rates if they wanted. Misrepresenting the choices isn't making your case.

As far as I can tell, JPay is picked because it's the biggest. Any evidence the competitors wouldn't do the same once they got the contracts?

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#47

Post by waterlesscloud »

rayiner wrote: post #46
waterlesscloud wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Instead of contracting to one service like any other entity, government would always need to contract with several No, the government is the entity making a selection among several choices, and is the entity in the position to negotiate the rates. Therefore they could bargain for lower rates if they wanted. Misrepresenting the choices isn't making your case.

As far as I can tell, JPay is picked because it's the biggest. Any evidence the competitors wouldn't do the same once they got the contracts?

Write it into the contracts that they cant?

The government is the entity with power here. The government regularly dictates all kinds of terms for their contracts. All the time.

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#48

Post by waterlesscloud »

disposition2 wrote: post #20
innguest wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How can we trust the government to solve this when it was the government that created the problem to begin with?

I doubt the government would be doing this: "JPay is protected from other market forces, as well. When states offer its music players and tablet computers for sale to inmates, they often confiscate radios that people already own, according to inmates in Ohio. This leaves inmates dependent on JPay’s music downloads, which can cost 30 to 50 percent more than the same songs on iTunes, inmates say." I'm confused, are you…

Who is confiscating the radios? JPay?

No.

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#49

Post by jqm »

Another shameful story about the criminal justice system in the US.... I wish I were more shocked.

I'm not a sociologist and I'm not going to look for links, but I'm pretty sure there is a strong correlation between poverty and crime. Now certainly correlation doesn't mean causation... but is keeping people in poverty more likely to cause or to prevent crime? But this question might make the bad assumption that the intent of the criminal justice system is to prevent crime in the first place.

We all pay for crime. Something to keep in mind. Social justice is more than just feeling good and being fair. It's about practicality also.

Re: Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates

#50

Post by morgante »

bcoates wrote: post #24
jMyles wrote: post #4

The only question that rings to me anymore about these stories: What can I do? What code can I write? What broker can I call? What form can I sign? How can I register my civic will so as to undo this blight? For me, this is the most embarrassing thing about being a United States citizen.

A good place to start is to refuse to cooperate with evil. The justice system depends on the active and passive cooperation of the general public. Do not call the police. If the police wish to speak with you, on any matter, politely decline. If a known police or corrections employee tries to do business with you or at a place you work, inform them that their kind are not welcome here. Don't underestimate the extent t…

> Do not call the police.

What? So if I'm getting mugged, murdered, or robbed I should just accept it?

Or maybe I should build a personal arsenal so as to protect myself from all possible threats from criminals?

This all sounds ridiculously Hobbesian to me.

I'm no fan of the police, but the alternative isn't a state of nature.

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