'Prisons-for-profits are a crime'
WW Party
Conference: Excerpts from a talk by
Monica
Moorehead
In 1996, when Larry Holmes, Key Martin and I interviewed
Mumia Abu-Jamal on death row in Waynesburg, Penn., we
anticipated that he would spend a great deal of the two hours
talking about his legal and political situation. Were we ever
wrong.
When asked how he was doing, he responded that he was doing
fine and then proceeded to talk about the prison-industrial
complex and why the movement needed to pay more attention to
this phenomenon. He was right on target.
The prison-industrial complex is the fusion of prison
construction and corporate investments resulting in astounding
profits for the capitalist class. The U.S. has the largest
prison population in the industrialized world--
1.8 million people.
This 1.8 million equals the combined populations of Atlanta,
St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Des Moines and Miami. California has
more people incarcerated in its jails and prisons than the
prison populations of France, Great Britain, Germany, Japan,
Singapore and the Netherlands put together.
Since 1991, while the rate of violent acts has decreased by
20 percent, the number of people in prison has increased by 50
percent. According to U.S. Department of Justice 1997
statistics, "violent juvenile crime" has declined by 9.3
percent, but the population of youthful juveniles in privately
operated facilities has jumped more than 10 percent.
Seventy percent of U.S. prisoners are people of color--the
majority African American and Latino. One out of every 14 Black
men is incarcerated. One out of four Black men is likely to be
caught up in the vicious web of the criminal justice system
during their lifetime.
The number of women prisoners, 80,000, has multiplied by 12
since 1970. This can be attributed to drug-related convictions
and other non-violent acts. Seventy-five percent of these women
are mothers.
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the
capitalist system is that investment gravitates to the sector
of the economy that produces the most profits. The expansion of
private prisons is considered by many experts to be the most
profitable industry in the U.S. today.
During the 19th century, private prisons were outlawed
because of the propensity towards systematic inhumane treatment
along with violations of labor laws. Entering the 21st century,
private prisons have returned on the scene with a
vengeance.
Private corporations have spent an estimated $35 billion
annually on the prison-industrial complex.
Many of the most influential Wall Street firms and
investment banks have poured millions of dollars into
supporting prison bond issues and the privatization of prisons.
The list includes American Express, General Electric, Goldman,
Sachs and Company, Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney.
Between 1980 and 1994, the value of goods produced by
prisoners rose from $392 million to $1.1 billion. The
Corrections Corporations of America, the country's largest
private-prison conglomerate, operates 46 penal institutions in
11 states, including seven juvenile facilities.
"Competitive prison labor" means Trans World Airlines can
pay prisoners $5 an hour to book reservations by phone, which
is one-third what it pays to its own workers. A CCA prison in
Tennessee can pay prisoners a maximum "wage" of 50 cents an
hour.
Starbucks, Microsoft, Victoria's Secret, Best Western and
Boeing are examples of corporate America's super-exploitation
of prison labor. This multi-billion-dollar industry has now
expanded to include clothes, car parts, computer components,
shoes, golf balls, soap, telemarketing, data entry, print shop
operations and furniture.
Prisoners are forced into the position of taking the jobs of
unionized workers.
The United Auto Workers union was successful in shutting
down a program at an Ohio prison where the Weastec corporation
was paying prisoners $2.05 an hour to assemble parts for Honda
cars.
The entire union movement must take a position of treating
prisoners as an integral sector of organizing the unorganized
into unions.
This new form of human chattel helps deepen the general
trend of lower wages for all workers along with breaking down
worker solidarity.
Organizing prisoners into unions with union wages was an
important demand made by the leaders of the heroic Attica
prison rebellion in 1971.
The prisons would not be overflowing with almost two million
people of color, the majority of whom are poor and
disenfranchised, were it not for the brutality of the cops, the
unjust courts and their laws, the racist use of the death
penalty and the biased role of the big business media.
All of these institutions work hand in hand to keep the
majority oppressed and repressed under the vicious thumb of
capitalist class rule.
The fact that brother Mumia speaks with so much authority on
the prison-industrial complex is an important reason why the
racist powers in Pennsylvania and on Wall Street want to
legally lynch him. By executing Mumia, the state hopes to
execute the movement as well.
I know that I speak for Workers World Party in saying that
we will continue to do everything in our power to free our
comrade in arms, Mumia Abu-Jamal. His freedom will help bring
us one step closer to freeing all of humanity from the throes
of capitalist slavery and inequality.
Free Mumia, Leonard Peltier and all political prisoners!
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