Our Lord began his ministry by declaring “release to the
captives…” (Luke 4:18 NRSV), and he distinguished those who would
receive a blessing at the last judgment by saying, “I was in prison and
you visited me.” (Matthew 25:36b NRSV) Jesus also declared that one
cannot serve two masters and condemned the idolatry of mammon, or wealth.
(Luke 16:13).
Christians, therefore, must have a special concern for those who
are captive in any way, especially for those who are imprisoned,
and for the human conditions under which persons are incarcerated.
Individual Christians and churches must also oppose those policies and
practices which reflect greater allegiance to the profit motive than to
public safety and to restorative justice for offenders, crime victims,
and local communities.
Therefore, The United Methodist Church declares its opposition to
the privatization of prisons and jails and to profit making from the
punishment of human beings.
ADOPTED 2000
The statement has further practical explanation of why this opposition:
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It is a little known fact of the attack on Libya that some of the
components of the cruise missiles being launched into the country
mayl have been made by prisoners in the United States. According to
its website, UNICOR, which is the organization that represents Federal
Prison Industries, “supplies numerous electronic components and service
for guided missiles, including the Patriot Advanced Capability Missile
(PAC-3)”.
In addition to constructing electronic components for missiles, prison
labor in the United States is used to make electronic cables for defense
items like “the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing (BA) F-15, the General
Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16, Bell/Textron’s (TXT) Cobra helicopter,
as well as electro-optical equipment for the BAE Systems”.
Traditionally these types of defense jobs would have gone to highly paid,
unionized workers. However the prison workers building parts for these
missiles earn a starting wage of 23 cents an hour and can only make a
maximum of $1.15 an hour.
Maybe you’re out of a job.
Can you compete with 23 cents an hour?
The Quitman 10 were arrested in Brooks County for alleged irregularities
with absentee ballots, the day after two of them were elected to the
Brooks County Board of Education.
Saturday (tomorrow) a statewide rally for them will be held in Macon:
When:
Saturday at 11:00pm – Sunday at 2:00am
Where:
Stewart Chapel AME Church, 887 Forsyth Street
Who:
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sen. Robert Brown, Rep. Tyrone Brooks, Sen. Vincent Fort, Rep. David Lucas, Ms. Helen Butler
But while such stories have become tragically common in Mexico, this was
the first time the mourners could vent their grief in front of tens of
thousands of sympathizers and TV cameras from across the world.
And in this media spotlight, the protesters made a new demand — amid
the failure of the government to provide security, they cried, the Public
Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna must resign.
“We don’t want more dead. We don’t want more hate,” protest leader
Javier Sicilia told the crowd. “President Felipe Calderon — show
you are listening to us, and make the public safety secretary resign.”
The demand announced at Sunday’s rally gave a new edge to a movement
that has been steadily rising amid the massacres and mass graves of
Mexico’s drug war.
Mr. John Robinson pointed out that school board problems and biomass
are not the only issues around here, and for example the south side
of town needs money so people there can become more productive citizens.
At the 21 April 2011 Valdosta City Council meeting,
He specifically recommended getting
Valdosta Small Emerging Business (VSEB) up and running.
Let us try to come together and find some method —John Robinson
Regular monthly meeting of the Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 April 2011,
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
LAST week authorities
captured two fugitives who had been on the lam
for three weeks after escaping from an Arizona prison. The convicts and
an accomplice are accused of murdering a holiday-making married couple
and stealing their camping trailer during their run from justice. This
gruesome incident has raised questions about the wisdom and efficacy of
private prisons, such as the one from which the Arizona convicts escaped.
Hm, so the ultimate big box would be
a private prison:
a literally captive audience paid for by captive tax dollars
and hirable at the lowest possible wages.
In three years, a private-prison construction and management company, the
Corrections Corporation of America, has seen the value of its contracts
with the state soar from nearly $23 million in 2006 to about $700 million
three months ago – all without competitive bidding. Even in a state
accustomed to high-dollar contracts, the 31-fold increase over three
years is dramatic.
During the same period, the company’s campaign donations rose
exponentially, from $36,750 in 2006, of which $25,000 went to the state
Republican Party, to $233,500 in 2007-08 and nearly $139,000 in 2009.
The donations have gone to Democrats, Republicans and ballot measures. The
company’s largest single contribution, $100,000, went to an unsuccessful
budget-reform package pushed last year by Gov. Schwarzenegger.
CCA contributed to cutting funding for other services while
getting more contracts for itself.
Is that what we want in Georgia?
Cut education funding while paying private prison companies?
Is that what we want in Lowndes County?
Costs vary, but CCA receives about $63 per day per inmate, or about
$23,000 annually.
That would pay for a lot of rehabilitation and education.
How about we do that instead?
“There is a push on to change the system we have, a system that is
cost-effective and is a national model, even before we know whether there
will be any real savings,” said House Corrections Committee Chairman
Jerry Madden, R-Richardson .
“I think it’s something we should look at, to see what the real facts
are, but I don’t think we should be rushing to a decision right now
about this,” Madden said. “Most of the Legislature, I believe, think(s)
that a decision this big — whether the system should be privatized
— is one that we should make, not some board or agency.”
The American-Statesman first reported the privatization efforts in March
and that top aides to Gov. Rick Perry have been involved in some of the
meetings with vendors and lobbyists.
Many worry about the financial costs of the bill. Though these are
surely not the greatest concerns for immigrant communities who would
be most impacted if Georgia’s bill is enacted, many business groups
are anxious. A national boycott of Arizona cost the state an estimated
$250 million in lost taxes, tourism and other revenue, according to the
Center for American Progress.
Even before the Georgia bill passed, a group of organizations across
the country threatened to wage a boycott of the state of Georgia if it
enacts the legislation.
Most states that have had this bill introduced have had the good sense
to get rid of it.
Continue reading →
Our Lord began his ministry by declaring “release to the captives…” (Luke 4:18 NRSV), and he distinguished those who would receive a blessing at the last judgment by saying, “I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:36b NRSV) Jesus also declared that one cannot serve two masters and condemned the idolatry of mammon, or wealth. (Luke 16:13).
