You might hear people expressing concerns about social media apps like Tik Tok being used in prison, but don’t let them distract you. These are the real problems with prisons – that are much more serious than social media use.
#1: The Pandemic
People are dying of COVID-19 in prisons and jails at disproportionately high rates. Even worse? 80% of the deaths from COVID-19 in Texas jails were people never convicted of a crime! But even if they had been, no one deserves execution by neglect.
#2: Prison Labor
People in prison are forced and coerced into working for next to nothing. The pandemic made this worse – with states exploiting prison labor to make products like sanitizer and masks, dig graves, and even fight fires. Some of this labor has even been described as “slave factories.”
#3: Torture
People are tortured all sorts of different ways in prisons. Abuse by guards, terrible food, lack of healthcare, and isolation are the norm. The U.S. is a world leader in solitary confinement, which is a recognized form of torture!
#4: Deteriorating Conditions
People suffer in dilapidated conditions in prisons throughout the nation, which may potentially lead to uprisings and grievances. In facilities like Mississippi’s Parchman Prison, people have set fires and harmed themselves seeking help while people die from neglect.
#5: Prisons Are Prisons
Whether you call it a prison, jail, or a detention center, these facilities are about punishment, not rehabilitation. They don’t end harm in our society or bring justice. We need to divest from the prison industrial complex and invest in communities to make change!