Book Excerpt Of The Week, "Women In Prison" By: Kathryn Watterson

"Another area worthy of investigation is the big business of building prisons; who is getting the contracts to build these billion dollar facilities that cost millions to run? What political donations have led to the sites chosen for new prisons, and to the many contracts made as part of the building process? Taxpayers should demand to know these facts, since public funds are being poured into prisons in such huge quantities for such unproductive results...Greater profits also can be made by spending as little as possible on the prisoners- just enough to keep order and promote the likelihood of return. The profit makers can insure the security of their investments by keeping the public in a state of fear from 'the criminal element.' As we've seen from the recent growth of the prison industrial complex- like the growth of the military industrial complex before it- when the public is living in fear, it doesn't complain about the price tag, no matter how outrageous. It is important to realize that the safety and well being of the community is at odds with the interest of the profit makers." -From, "Women In Prison" By: Kathryn Watterson