What?!? Private prisons suing states for millions if they don’t stay full

[88m3]

everyone in involved in private prisons becoming a reality should be lined up on a wall.

 

[Tommy Knocks]

and then when more boys grow up without fathers, become violent, they blame race

 

[tmonster]

don't get me wrong, i enjoyed college and would do it again. the problem with college is the cost of tuition is constantly increasing and school supplies are expensive and both usually require loans to get by, yet students aren't seeing a return on their investment with the job market being shytty and end up getting screwed over in the end. it's a structure that's focused on making money, but it's required to help you advance in life. a tough pickle to be in.

With all due respect, you may want to reconsider your rhetoric though
your issue is with the financing system and capitalism
but when you say "college" is a hustle, it implies a lot more and young listeners are concrete in their reception of such broad ideas. Consider that when I went to school in the late 90's, it was cheaper and financial aid was generous. I manage to repay all my college loans first year since I only needed to borrow like 12 grand. And it was even cheaper before my time, ultimately the state college system was essentially free in the early 60's. So "America" had not always devised this "hustle".
I only make this seemingly pedantic point because such loose rhetoric only aids the propagandist attack on intellectualism, I am truly not trying to be a douche.

your sentiment is well taken.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...12-fold-1120-percent-bloomberg_n_1783700.html

 

[Coherent]

This reminds me of this story.

Hello,

After more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I've simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren't ready for.

Between the late 80's and early 90’s, I was what you may call a “decision maker” with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80’s and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media weren’t accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music’s new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I’ve ever seen.

The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn't seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn't find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the “unfamiliar” group collected the agreements from us.

Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of “decision makers”. At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didn’t know what a private prison was but I wasn't the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we’d be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, we’d also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn't dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, “Is this a f****** joke?” At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the “unfamiliar” group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we’d want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, “It’s out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement.” He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.

 

[Coherent]

A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I'd like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn't talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn't remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I’d probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn't willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didn’t uncover anything about the music business’ involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged.

As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities.

I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a “quiet” life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90’s, having the internet as a resource which wasn't at my disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how they’ve been used for the past 2 decades. Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.

Thank you.

 

[ahomeplateslugger]

With all due respect, you may want to reconsider your rhetoric though
your issue is with the financing system and capitalism
but when you say "college" is a hustle, it implies a lot more and young listeners are concrete in their reception of such broad ideas. Consider that when I went to school in the late 90's, it was cheaper and financial aid was generous. I manage to repay all my college loans first year since I only needed to borrow like 12 grand. And it was even cheaper before my time, ultimately the state college system was essentially free in the early 60's. So "America" had not always devised this "hustle".
I only make this seemingly pedantic point because such loose rhetoric only aids the propagandist attack on intellectualism, I am truly not trying to be a douche.

your sentiment is well taken.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...12-fold-1120-percent-bloomberg_n_1783700.html

you're right. it's just that i was helping my cousin register for classes over the weekend and he goes to a cal state university and just signing up for 12 units alone was close to 6k i graduated college in 2011 so i went into it with tuition being ridiculously high. i believe college started off as a genuine program but i feel like it's becoming a money grab, especially in cali.

 

[Brown_Pride]

PEOLE JUST DON'T CARE.

IMHO we're beyond the turn back point. We're on a collusion course with evolt/revolution in the not to distant future. Those in power are blinded by it and believe they'll maintain that power forever and ever, those without it don't realize they're being played like suckers.

The only X factor I foresee is the internet and it's POTENTIAL to get information out quickly.

The roadblock in the road is really the laziness of IDGAF attitude of to many people.

Those in power have done a MASTERFUL job in, for lack of a better word, brainwashing the masses.

The coming zombie apocalypse will not consist of the un-dead, but rather the brain dead slowly coming back to life.

This situation is disgusting at best; BUT nothing will be done.

 

[Leasy]

Poor America. Will my people ever care

 

[Snitchin Splatter]

this shyt is sad man. I hate CCA with a passion and hope they and everything they stand for fails

 

[tmonster]

you're right. it's just that i was helping my cousin register for classes over the weekend and he goes to a cal state university and just signing up for 12 units alone was close to 6k i graduated college in 2011 so i went into it with tuition being ridiculously high. i believe college started off as a genuine program but i feel like it's becoming a money grab, especially in cali.

This is basically the endpoint of runaway capitalism
There comes to be no distinction between it and racketeering, terrorism and plain fraud, sabotaging the commons and the social contract/safety net is packaged as wealth creation and free market-ism, it comes to be only limited by what the public will tacitly accept (and sometimes not so tacitly).

If you believe Tocqueville (or whomever actually said the prescient quote below) we are in for rough times

 

[Higher Tech]

Does anyone have any other articles or more in depth articles on this subject?

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

With all due respect, you may want to reconsider your rhetoric though
your issue is with the financing system and capitalism
but when you say "college" is a hustle, it implies a lot more and young listeners are concrete in their reception of such broad ideas. Consider that when I went to school in the late 90's, it was cheaper and financial aid was generous. I manage to repay all my college loans first year since I only needed to borrow like 12 grand. And it was even cheaper before my time, ultimately the state college system was essentially free in the early 60's. So "America" had not always devised this "hustle".
I only make this seemingly pedantic point because such loose rhetoric only aids the propagandist attack on intellectualism, I am truly not trying to be a douche.

your sentiment is well taken.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...12-fold-1120-percent-bloomberg_n_1783700.html

Michael Moore () spoke to my school a couple of years ago and he said something that was right on the money. Back in the day students could work the whole summer (sometimes even part time) and then use that money to pay their tuition, books, and even have some party money left over for that school year. That's not a reality anymore. Kids now are working full time and going to school full time and can't even afford the books let alone tuition.

My main concern with college now a days that no one seems to talk about is that lack of networking that working has on students. I worked full time and went to class full time all four years I was in school. Now, I feel like I networked a lot for a college student, but I could barely ever go to any 'official' networking events. Like most colleges everything happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and guess what, I worked Tues and Thurs nights so I could never go to those.

Older generations are really getting out of touch with new college standards. I don't know how many times an old head has told me "why didn't you network more?" and my response is always "I had to either network or pay rent and buy books "

America needs a revolution to amend capitalism, and it has to be soon before technology makes that revolution impossible

 

[Wild self]

Michael Moore () spoke to my school a couple of years ago and he said something that was right on the money. Back in the day students could work the whole summer (sometimes even part time) and then use that money to pay their tuition, books, and even have some party money left over for that school year. That's not a reality anymore. Kids now are working full time and going to school full time and can't even afford the books let alone tuition.

My main concern with college now a days that no one seems to talk about is that lack of networking that working has on students. I worked full time and went to class full time all four years I was in school. Now, I feel like I networked a lot for a college student, but I could barely ever go to any 'official' networking events. Like most colleges everything happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and guess what, I worked Tues and Thurs nights so I could never go to those.

Older generations are really getting out of touch with new college standards. I don't know how many times an old head has told me "why didn't you network more?" and my response is always "I had to either network or pay rent and buy books "

America needs a revolution to amend capitalism, and it has to be soon before technology makes that revolution impossible

The baby boomer generation and even the older posters on here are the same way. Talking about "networking more" when they still don't guarantee jobs since there are too many people applying for the internships, which majority of the time is non-paying. Its a scam that the colleges and their administrations are doing to get the last drop of money before everything collapses in the bubble burst in the years ahead. How can you study intensely when you work and study in those hard ass science or math classes?

Shame that the times call for revolution, when this could have easily been avoided if it wasn't for brainwashed parents thinking that college is everything and letting these colleges scam people for loans that they can't even repay.

With all due respect, you may want to reconsider your rhetoric though
your issue is with the financing system and capitalism
but when you say "college" is a hustle, it implies a lot more and young listeners are concrete in their reception of such broad ideas. Consider that when I went to school in the late 90's, it was cheaper and financial aid was generous. I manage to repay all my college loans first year since I only needed to borrow like 12 grand. And it was even cheaper before my time, ultimately the state college system was essentially free in the early 60's. So "America" had not always devised this "hustle".
I only make this seemingly pedantic point because such loose rhetoric only aids the propagandist attack on intellectualism, I am truly not trying to be a douche.

your sentiment is well taken.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...12-fold-1120-percent-bloomberg_n_1783700.html

shyt like that wants me to behead all the administrators that scam people off of their futures.

 

[tmonster]

Michael Moore () spoke to my school a couple of years ago and he said something that was right on the money. Back in the day students could work the whole summer (sometimes even part time) and then use that money to pay their tuition, books, and even have some party money left over for that school year. That's not a reality anymore. Kids now are working full time and going to school full time and can't even afford the books let alone tuition.

My main concern with college now a days that no one seems to talk about is that lack of networking that working has on students. I worked full time and went to class full time all four years I was in school. Now, I feel like I networked a lot for a college student, but I could barely ever go to any 'official' networking events. Like most colleges everything happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and guess what, I worked Tues and Thurs nights so I could never go to those.

Older generations are really getting out of touch with new college standards. I don't know how many times an old head has told me "why didn't you network more?" and my response is always "I had to either network or pay rent and buy books "

America needs a revolution to amend capitalism, and it has to be soon before technology makes that revolution impossible

Don't get me started
personally I don't think anyone should work while going to college
your job is to immerse yourself in academia for about 4 years
you are to attend colloquia, to spend time sharing ideas, doing research and coming up with great questions to mine the minds of your professors

most people who work through college don't ever realize what they traded in for those part time hours at the fryer
it is so hard to explain this to those who don't know what they are missing or missed

I am going to hold my tongue because I could (and tend to) go on for days on the topic, it genuinely saddens me when I consider how much intellectual potential is wasted because of this status quo.

 

[tmonster]

America needs a revolution to amend capitalism, and it has to be soon before technology makes that revolution impossible

(Respectfully snipped for emphasis)

I could not agree more