Louisiana is the world's prison capital. The state imprisons more of its
people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among
Americans means first in the world. Louisiana's incarceration rate is
nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.
The hidden engine behind the state's well-oiled prison machine is cold,
hard cash. A majority of Louisiana inmates are housed in for-profit
facilities, which must be supplied with a constant influx of human
beings or a $182 million industry will go bankrupt.
Several
homegrown private prison companies command a slice of the market. But in
a uniquely Louisiana twist, most prison entrepreneurs are rural
sheriffs, who hold tremendous sway in remote parishes like Madison,
Avoyelles, East Carroll and Concordia. A good portion of Louisiana law
enforcement is financed with dollars legally skimmed off the top of
prison operations.
Read on....
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Showing posts with label Louisiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisiana. Show all posts
Jindal Signs Anti-Choice Bill, Likens Women Who Receive Abortions To Criminals
Yesterday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) appeared at the First Baptist Church of West Monroe to sign HB 636, a measure that “requires women to be informed of their specific legal rights and options before they undergo an abortion procedure.” Abortion providers will now have to post signs around their facilities stating that “it is illegal to coerce a woman into getting an abortion, that the child’s father must provide child support, that certain agencies can assist them during and after the pregnancy and that adoptive parents can pay some of the medical costs.” The law also creates a Department of Health and Hospitals website and a mobile platform to deliver information “about public and private pregnancy resources” for avoiding abortions.
Jindal said he couldn’t understand why anyone would oppose the bill, comparing the new notices to Miranda warnings for women who receive abortions — a constitutionally protected procedure — to criminals:
“When officers arrest criminals today, they are read their rights,” he said. “Now if we’re giving criminals their basic rights and they have to be informed of those rights, it seems to me only common sense we would have to do the same thing for women before they make the choice about whether to get an abortion.”
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