> After that, beyond basic bar soap, you’re on your own. You have to order supplies through the commissary system, a sort of monopoly drugstore run by the Keefe Group out of Missouri. This is where you purchase everything from hygiene supplies and chips to a Styrofoam cup. You place orders once a week, and the following week a delivery guy shows up with a cart piled high with plastic bags of stuff. If nobody on the outside puts money on your “books” (inmate account), you can order a second indigent kit. But as soon as someone sends you money, Keefe deducts that cost. And with a 20-cent pack of ramen costing $1.18, just like most monopolies throughout history, goods are sold at an inflated rate.
This is one of the parts of prisons I find particularly distressing. I'm trying to find (but can't recall the name of the company) an article, perhaps posted here a few months ago, about a company that handles inmate "bank accounts". The percentage they took was absurd. Between what the financial company took and the prisons, $100 sent to a prisoner might end up only being $50 by the time they could spend it. Paired with the high prices in the commissary they can barely afford "essentials".
EDIT:
JPay. Here's an article, but not the one I was looking for:
My father is currently in a federal prison. I do not want to reveal sentencing, names, etc. but I deal with Jpay on a daily basis.
Their core currency is 'stamps' if you are technologically literate.
It is $4.50 to be able to buy 12 'stamps'
It takes one stamp to send an email, plus one stamp per attachment.
Beyond this, there are music 'credits', video call 'credits', etc.
It is a fucking racketeering ring. I literally keep a Windows laptop so that I can have video calls with my father because its incompatible with OSX and Linux (Ubuntu 14.04 in my case)
Would love to hear a way to make a difference here...I've thought of nothing.
JPay et al. are the worst scum. One of the justifications though is that our dear leaders expand definition of "crime" and "criminality" but do not expand budgets for incarceration so it falls on the Jailor and/related staff to get finances. They typically bring in these JPay kind of shady dealers who promise a cut per person in jail. So JPay takes a cut but shares it with the Jail or department. To give the kind of commission promised to the Jails they rob the inmates - its that simple. So we not only hold an inmate for crime but his family for ransom. This is sad because people do not have empathy for in-mates. One of the many "criminal" faces of the Criminal Justice System.
When $0.20 ramen and basic hygiene products (kind of required for the sanity housing of anybody) are not provided, it kind of makes you wonder[1] where the several-hundred dollars per-day we spend to keep most people in jail[2] is actually ending up.
[1] rhetorical question; we know, more or less, where the money goes.
Red State recently featured an article calling for prison reform, which I thought was an encouraging development[0]. Conservatives, historically, have taken a hard line against criminal justice reform in any way that might appear soft on crime[1]. For a prominent conservative site to come out in favor of reform is a step in the right direction.
Reading the Red State article, I get a sense that the author is walking a tightrope to frame the argument in terms that conservatives would favor:
>I have relatively little sympathy for violent criminal offenders in terms of the punishments they receive.
>However, all these efforts are opposed by powerful interest groups that give almost invariably to Democrats – including police and jailer unions who want to protect the jobs of their members.
>I am not advocating for free HBO for all prisoners and for government sponsored gender reassignment surgery or anything of the like
And so forth. He pretty much covers all the bases. I think that shows a high level of awareness. I also think that going to such lengths suggests a strong desire for reform to actually occur (disclaimer: I had never heard of the author before reading the article).
I feel like I should add, conservatives are in no way unique in demanding that scary ideas come with a popsicle. I personally prefer cherry.
Being a Conservative, albeit a Libertarian, I am all for punishment, provided it fits the crime. I and I am sure many others like me do not believe in exploiting prisoners or such, but I also do not believe in coddling them either.
Right now we have another government regulated and implemented disaster. People bitch and moan over the issues the VA has and that institution is supposed to HELP people, yet they don't want to look at the penal system which is supposed to help society. Both are examples of a government to big to be held responsible. Both are just minor examples of government regulation permitting abuse and neglect.
Yet people want more regulation, more government, and such. Why should government improve when you want them to step in and do everything you don't like being done by others (internet, health, etc) We get what we deserve
It's worth mentioning that many people in jail are there waiting for adjudication. For felonies, this can take months. For misdemeanors, a day or two is common.
In other words, in accordance with basic human rights, they're innocent as their accuser has not yet proven their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
There are countries where not as many people are locked up, prison sentences are shorter, and as a result the people locked up are given a minimum of humanity.
By beating it into the minds of everyone (especially in more privileged classes who won't come within 500 feet of somebody who has seen the inside of a jail in their lifetime) of how absolutely dehumanising prison is, we could maybe stop demanding people be thrown into jail for 25 years.
I think the point of the story was to inform the reader what a jail experience is actually like, with the added benefit that the author was a cartoonist.
I don't know HN's policies, but I think you should re-consider your post, and edit/delete it.
Why is it that when HN talks about the TempleOS guy, we're all careful with our terminology, but now we're totally cool to call this person "fucking crazy"?
I get that in the former, the man fits the mold of "misunderstood bit-twiddling genius" or related mythologies of the craft, but the latter is no less of a person. Show some humanity.
Besides, what did putting this person in 2 months of jail do? I doubt this accomplished anything other than spending more of taxpayers dollars. If she's "fucking crazy", then do you think 2 months of jail is a deterrent to stalking somebody? Or just something to make sure she's more careful when stalking?
Throwing people with mental illnesses into jail is as effective as spanking a baby. Sure, they might be conditioned to associate certain behaviour with punishment. But it won't fix underlying causes like behavioural patterns, addiction, or value systems.
Being a stalker doesn't make you crazy. In our pop-culture world we have plenty of stalkers and I'd bet they're not completely out of their minds; just suddenly obsessed over a particular person(s).
Also, I don't know how many HNers have actually interacted with a person who is locked-up because they've been labeled insane. I can say that my dad & wife have interacted with many in their line of work and what I've learned from them is that even a lot of those that are locked up are not totally out of their minds. Usually it's some kind of environmental stimulus that triggers their "madness". But in a controlled facility (sometimes with medication as well) they can tell very coherent stories of their childhood, what school(s) they went to, what they did yesterday, about their parents/siblings, etc.
Don't automatically discount the views of a crazy person. More often than not they're not totally 100% crazy, just have certain issues that make them unable to function in our society.
I personally believe her illustrations are mostly accurate if for no other reason than the "unnatural" rush of comments trying to discredit her.
I don't care one bit for what got her in jail or how terrible a person you think she is. What matters is that she went there and that either what's in those cartoons is a credible representation of what being in jail in America as a woman is like. If it is then those images should be reason for wholesale reform.
Even if she was a murderer it would still be reason to go and make some drastic changes.
Even if they're inmates, they are still people and with the number of people in American jails running in the millions and taking into account that the men probably won't have it any better it's a thing to be very much ashamed of.
Whatever she did has nothing to bear on the information in the article, it's either true or it isn't.
I don't think anybody can fault her for lifting the Ren and Stimpy style - everybody has influences and she's obviously a fan. It's not like she stole his characters.
And yeah, she broke the law and is in jail. I figured she wasn't there for cartooning. So it was stalking. Okay, right then.
Still tells a good story and makes nice illustrations to accompany them.
One cartoonist gets obsessed and implements the creepy-stalker pattern on another cartoonist, which results in having to stay in a creepy American jail.
The NSA, Facebook, Google implement regular creepy-stalker patterns (sometimes milder, sometimes more worrying) as part of their regular {mission,business plan}, and they are awarded with profit?
> "Okay, the last thirty-seven comments didn't win him over, but the next one is going to totally make him want me!"
Ahh, yes, we can't forget to include the Comcast-style marketing department and their robo-dialers.
/* /sigh/ stalker behavior isn't good, of course, and the comparison has several flaws. Regardless, dual-standard still exists. */
>But because I had no money and an overworked public defender, I knew I’d have to serve time for my violation.
an animator in LA can't pay for a lawyer to fight 2 month of jail (i.e. supposedly something relatively minor). Are animators there doing that bad? (i'd expect it to be more like programmers in SV)
"Animator" could have lots of interpretations/types of jobs, and many people that have pursued careers in the arts may have spent money on special purpose art colleges that cost a lot, but definitely don't always translate to high paying jobs.
Also, anecdotal evidence from friends in the digital animation field (think Pixar, Dreamworks, etc) is that even those jobs can be relatively low paying for years because they are dream jobs, hence high supply of workers.
Without knowing socio-economic background and life history, I could easily see a creative type in LA choosing a short jail term over the financial hit.
There are a lot more people who want to be animators than there are jobs for animators in LA. I used to be one of them.
A lot of the work is seasonal at best; you're hired for the duration of one production, and let go when it's over. If the show gets renewed and the folks running it like you you may get offered your job back next year.
You can make a decent living but not working for Bakshi or Kricfalusi; you work for those two because you want the prestige of Having Worked Under A Legend. Or because you worked with them back in the day, have a decent amount of money to fall back on, and they've approached you with a new project that will give you a lot of creative freedom because they trust your sensibility.
(I mostly worked for John K when I was hanging around the industry, so I saw this first-hand.)
Pretty sure that animators are paid more in line with musicians than programmers.
Also, think about going to jail for 2 months. 2 months where you're locked up and have absolutely no liberty. If this thing was minor, there's still 2 months you'll never get back. Not to mention the job you probably lose during this stint. I don't wish prison sentences to anybody, not even my worst enemies.
I wouldn't feel as bad that we feel so strongly about locking people up if the conditions weren't so absolutely awful. I'm sure there's a way to make prisons more survivable without sacrificing the "making sure people are inside the box"-ness.
[+] [-] Jtsummers|11 years ago|reply
This is one of the parts of prisons I find particularly distressing. I'm trying to find (but can't recall the name of the company) an article, perhaps posted here a few months ago, about a company that handles inmate "bank accounts". The percentage they took was absurd. Between what the financial company took and the prisons, $100 sent to a prisoner might end up only being $50 by the time they could spend it. Paired with the high prices in the commissary they can barely afford "essentials".
EDIT: JPay. Here's an article, but not the one I was looking for:
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/09/30/15761/prison-banke...
[+] [-] rhgraysonii|11 years ago|reply
My father is currently in a federal prison. I do not want to reveal sentencing, names, etc. but I deal with Jpay on a daily basis.
Their core currency is 'stamps' if you are technologically literate.
It is $4.50 to be able to buy 12 'stamps'
It takes one stamp to send an email, plus one stamp per attachment.
Beyond this, there are music 'credits', video call 'credits', etc.
It is a fucking racketeering ring. I literally keep a Windows laptop so that I can have video calls with my father because its incompatible with OSX and Linux (Ubuntu 14.04 in my case)
Would love to hear a way to make a difference here...I've thought of nothing.
[+] [-] sremani|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pdkl95|11 years ago|reply
[1] rhetorical question; we know, more or less, where the money goes.
[2] prison is usually more expensive
[+] [-] MoOmer|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] paulhebert|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] valar_m|11 years ago|reply
Reading the Red State article, I get a sense that the author is walking a tightrope to frame the argument in terms that conservatives would favor:
>I have relatively little sympathy for violent criminal offenders in terms of the punishments they receive.
>However, all these efforts are opposed by powerful interest groups that give almost invariably to Democrats – including police and jailer unions who want to protect the jobs of their members.
>I am not advocating for free HBO for all prisoners and for government sponsored gender reassignment surgery or anything of the like
And so forth. He pretty much covers all the bases. I think that shows a high level of awareness. I also think that going to such lengths suggests a strong desire for reform to actually occur (disclaimer: I had never heard of the author before reading the article).
I feel like I should add, conservatives are in no way unique in demanding that scary ideas come with a popsicle. I personally prefer cherry.
[0] http://www.redstate.com/2014/12/18/americas-desperate-need-p...
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio#Pink_underwear
[+] [-] Shivetya|11 years ago|reply
Right now we have another government regulated and implemented disaster. People bitch and moan over the issues the VA has and that institution is supposed to HELP people, yet they don't want to look at the penal system which is supposed to help society. Both are examples of a government to big to be held responsible. Both are just minor examples of government regulation permitting abuse and neglect.
Yet people want more regulation, more government, and such. Why should government improve when you want them to step in and do everything you don't like being done by others (internet, health, etc) We get what we deserve
[+] [-] kqr2|11 years ago|reply
http://www.elanapritchard.com/2014/12/jail-comics-deleted-sc...
[+] [-] ryen|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] spdustin|11 years ago|reply
In other words, in accordance with basic human rights, they're innocent as their accuser has not yet proven their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
[+] [-] hawleyal|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] somberi|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thret|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chanux|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rtpg|11 years ago|reply
By beating it into the minds of everyone (especially in more privileged classes who won't come within 500 feet of somebody who has seen the inside of a jail in their lifetime) of how absolutely dehumanising prison is, we could maybe stop demanding people be thrown into jail for 25 years.
[+] [-] thekevan|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] laoba|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] optimusclimb|11 years ago|reply
I don't know HN's policies, but I think you should re-consider your post, and edit/delete it.
[+] [-] comrh|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Sonicmouse|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] rtpg|11 years ago|reply
I get that in the former, the man fits the mold of "misunderstood bit-twiddling genius" or related mythologies of the craft, but the latter is no less of a person. Show some humanity.
Besides, what did putting this person in 2 months of jail do? I doubt this accomplished anything other than spending more of taxpayers dollars. If she's "fucking crazy", then do you think 2 months of jail is a deterrent to stalking somebody? Or just something to make sure she's more careful when stalking?
Throwing people with mental illnesses into jail is as effective as spanking a baby. Sure, they might be conditioned to associate certain behaviour with punishment. But it won't fix underlying causes like behavioural patterns, addiction, or value systems.
[+] [-] smtddr|11 years ago|reply
Also, I don't know how many HNers have actually interacted with a person who is locked-up because they've been labeled insane. I can say that my dad & wife have interacted with many in their line of work and what I've learned from them is that even a lot of those that are locked up are not totally out of their minds. Usually it's some kind of environmental stimulus that triggers their "madness". But in a controlled facility (sometimes with medication as well) they can tell very coherent stories of their childhood, what school(s) they went to, what they did yesterday, about their parents/siblings, etc.
Don't automatically discount the views of a crazy person. More often than not they're not totally 100% crazy, just have certain issues that make them unable to function in our society.
I personally believe her illustrations are mostly accurate if for no other reason than the "unnatural" rush of comments trying to discredit her.
[+] [-] jacquesm|11 years ago|reply
Even if she was a murderer it would still be reason to go and make some drastic changes.
Even if they're inmates, they are still people and with the number of people in American jails running in the millions and taking into account that the men probably won't have it any better it's a thing to be very much ashamed of.
Whatever she did has nothing to bear on the information in the article, it's either true or it isn't.
[+] [-] Pxtl|11 years ago|reply
And yeah, she broke the law and is in jail. I figured she wasn't there for cartooning. So it was stalking. Okay, right then.
Still tells a good story and makes nice illustrations to accompany them.
[+] [-] andrewliebchen|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pdkl95|11 years ago|reply
The NSA, Facebook, Google implement regular creepy-stalker patterns (sometimes milder, sometimes more worrying) as part of their regular {mission,business plan}, and they are awarded with profit?
> "Okay, the last thirty-seven comments didn't win him over, but the next one is going to totally make him want me!"
Ahh, yes, we can't forget to include the Comcast-style marketing department and their robo-dialers.
/* /sigh/ stalker behavior isn't good, of course, and the comparison has several flaws. Regardless, dual-standard still exists. */
[+] [-] valar_m|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DanBC|11 years ago|reply
This is hate speech and has no place on HN.
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] g8gggu89|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] trhway|11 years ago|reply
an animator in LA can't pay for a lawyer to fight 2 month of jail (i.e. supposedly something relatively minor). Are animators there doing that bad? (i'd expect it to be more like programmers in SV)
[+] [-] optimusclimb|11 years ago|reply
Also, anecdotal evidence from friends in the digital animation field (think Pixar, Dreamworks, etc) is that even those jobs can be relatively low paying for years because they are dream jobs, hence high supply of workers.
Without knowing socio-economic background and life history, I could easily see a creative type in LA choosing a short jail term over the financial hit.
[+] [-] egypturnash|11 years ago|reply
A lot of the work is seasonal at best; you're hired for the duration of one production, and let go when it's over. If the show gets renewed and the folks running it like you you may get offered your job back next year.
You can make a decent living but not working for Bakshi or Kricfalusi; you work for those two because you want the prestige of Having Worked Under A Legend. Or because you worked with them back in the day, have a decent amount of money to fall back on, and they've approached you with a new project that will give you a lot of creative freedom because they trust your sensibility.
(I mostly worked for John K when I was hanging around the industry, so I saw this first-hand.)
[+] [-] rtpg|11 years ago|reply
Also, think about going to jail for 2 months. 2 months where you're locked up and have absolutely no liberty. If this thing was minor, there's still 2 months you'll never get back. Not to mention the job you probably lose during this stint. I don't wish prison sentences to anybody, not even my worst enemies.
I wouldn't feel as bad that we feel so strongly about locking people up if the conditions weren't so absolutely awful. I'm sure there's a way to make prisons more survivable without sacrificing the "making sure people are inside the box"-ness.
[+] [-] Zaephyr|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fsloth|11 years ago|reply