"Id' rather die than go back. They'll honestly have to catch me and kill me because I am not going back on my own", are words quoted by Travonne Lane. What could possibly be so horrible to where you would want to leave earth's existence? Well, it is that second home where most former and present inmates spend most of their lives.

California's corrupt jail system has been fully accredited for leaving such horror and bitterness in many peoples lives. Instead of jail being some place where criminals are locked up for their wrongful doings, it is also a huge money making organization. It is one of California's most dominant and productive organizations.

The annual profit on a daily bases rolls in at a strong 2000, in numbers of people, referenced to Source magazine. It may seem awkward that I call people profit but it is true. The more people that go to jail, the more money the system makes and most young men on their way to jail don't realize that.

"I hate the system", are words that I hear consistently hear coming from the mouths of these young men but if they actually knew facts of what goes on then I'm almost positive they'll think twice before doing something.

For one inmate to be housed cost 28,502 dollars and 2,882 dollars for them to be on parole. That is a lot of money for one person but what they fail to mention is how they are making that money back. They bounce right back when it is time for prison labor.

There are different factories inside the jail that make all sorts of useful products that are used on a regular. For example; sewing gloves, putting together door knobs and license plates are only a few of the many jobs that the prisons conduct mentioned by Travonne Lane, who is a former inmate of California's own, California's Men Colony located in San Luis Obispo.

He mentioned how those particular jobs are only worth about .20 cents an hour. That is a little bit of nothing compared to what they would be getting paid if they weren't locked up. Many of the inmates are aware of what is going on and think it is unfair but everything is supposed to be considered a privilege while you are in jail. Let's do some math now.

Since inmates only make about a quarter an hour for making all sorts of products, how exactly does the system make its money?

The federal government gives grants to the prisons, which are roughly about 30,000 per inmate to be housed. That 30,000 are given to the prisons and are used for utilities and the payrolls of workers. 30,000 dollars times the thousands of inmates is roughly about a billion dollars. Not to mention the money they make off the quarter jobs that they have prisoners doing.

The products the inmates make are being sold for more than triple the amount they are being paid. The system uses the inmates as sort of an investment because the payroll money is doubled right back. Even the food that the prisoners are fed is bought in huge chunks so they are saving money on that.

The for-profit industry is a private prison industry and it came into play when the prisons were running out of money because the prison population was increasing in number. The money for prisons was coming out of taxes and citizens weren't for higher taxation because of prisons.

Therefore, the government turned to private investments, which were the private prison incorporations. That was the idea to run the prisons themselves, charging the cost of beds at a high price of thirty to sixty dollars per inmate on a daily bases without having to tax the citizens.

Since crime rate has more than doubled, prisons needed to be built. Unlike the quarters the state prisoners were getting paid an hour, private prisons were paid nothing. "Its legalized slavery", said Ashley Hunt in an article entitled, "Prison for Sale". "Judging from the facts, the privatized prison industry is big a business-fifty billion dollar industry that thrives on putting people behind bars for free labor", Ashley continued.

She is absolutely right because the jobs they could have someone else doing for minimum wage or even more is done for free by the prisoners. Something isn't right. At the San Luis Obispo jail where Travonne was housed, inmates have to use their money in what is known as the, "Canteen Conversely" which is a store at the state prison.

You can buy anything from hygiene necessities to food and vitamins. Sometimes inmates buy televisions and walkmans; CD's for their pleasure but have to be ordered specially. They also have to be clear for safety reasons but it is very rare to find companies that make clear items. Inmates are not to spend over 180 dollars a month in the store. They probably won't anyway because the most an inmate can make is maybe 150 dollars a month if they're lucky.

It is even interesting that a bag a Top Ramen cost twenty cents in the state prisons and a dollar in the county prisons. The grocery store sells that item, ten for a dollar, so do the math. Everything at the county jail is doubled from regular price. I don't know why it is like that because jail is jail in my opinion but it just all depends on who is running what.

The government gives the grants but then it is up to the prison incorporations to decide their own prices. The highest crimes in jails are not violent crimes but drug related issues. 39.7% of the people in jail are cause of the possession of drugs. I don't quite understand, why follow the trend of "slanging"?

When you mention how you hate the system, you should think about it first. Are you doing anything to contribute? In fact you are. To have such a hateful passion towards something so strongly I don't think I would want to help it out in anyway. You have to actually breakdown every possible situation because one thing links to another. The system has their road laid out but it is up to you to go the other way.

I'm sure you heard a million times that everybody eventually is caught in what they do. Do you want to risk getting caught and becoming state property? The money is good and even fast but it doesn't last forever. Do you think you really want to be somewhere where you get three meals a day and have no say so in what you do?

It's not a fun place. Just ask the "o.g's" around you because they know exactly what it is like and no one wants to go back. It's like being in detention forever and some people even relate it to hell. The system targets Blacks and Latinos because it is easier to get them in jail and they happen make up majority of the prison population leaving only 12% of Caucasian Americans and others.

So consider this situation. Isn't it ironic that the "little people" always get busted? Where are the people that give you the drugs to sell for them? That street life is not trendy at all because you will always end up in jail. Don't fall down the road to destruction. The more our people mess up the more prisons is being built because they are becoming overcrowded. You have to break down every possible situation because the obvious is embedded more than you realize.

Breakdown parole for instance. Prisoner's look forward to being on parole because they are not in jail but have you noticed where they send you? They place you back at exhibit A, because they figure eventually you will follow the same trend that got you there in the first place. They figure what else you can do to get money because you are fresh out the pin, knowing you lack work habits.

Not everyone but a good number, and that means another 30,000 dollars. The prisons purposely don't give preparation for social and employment interests and that is why they are positive that their profit will keep coming back. I relate prison to just basically being a big factory for misdemeanors without any solution.

Next time think before you act because you have a whole life ahead of you. No one wants to become a product of the state by making jail his or her second home.

Author Unknown

© 2004 By AfroStaff