The world's biggest prison system (BBC) {Were still No. 1 ! }

[eppur_se_muova]

By Matthew Davis
BBC News, Washington

About the same time that President Bush was condemning the abuse of prisoners in Iraq as un-American, a year-long inquiry began into the mistreatment of prisoners at home.

The Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons (CSAAP) issues its final report in about eight weeks time, but the testimony of violence, abuse and over-crowding it has already heard has shocked few familiar with the largest documented prison system in the world.

More than 2.1 million people are in jail in the US at any one time; that is about one in 140 Americans, or as many people as live in Namibia, or nearly five Luxembourgs - and it is a number that continues to rise.
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But the roots of the problem may be closer to home, as suggested by words attributed to former Pennsylvania prison guard Charles Graner - ringleader of the Abu Ghraib abuses - which came out during court testimony.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4858580.stm

[WePurrsevere]

1. We're number 1? I'll bet Bush,Cheney & Rummy are so proud.

:sarcasm:

Let us hope that someday they'll all get to experience our prison system first hand.... as inmates. :nuke:

[Brigid]

4. Inmates

We can only hope.

[poliblogist]

2. CSAAP is doing incredible work helping to affect change in US prisons

This is an incredibly successful private and bi-partisan commission on prisons. Check out their website: <http://www.prisoncommission.org/>. I am biased, though, my husband is the executive director. Its still pretty incredible when you see the list of commissioners cooperating for this:

Salvador Balcorta
Stephen B. Bright
Richard G. Dudley, Jr., M.D.
Charles Fried
James Gilligan, M.D.
Saul A. Green
Ray Krone
Mark H. Luttrell
Gary D. Maynard
Marc H. Morial
Pat Nolan
Stephen T. Rippe
Laurie O. Robinson
Senator Gloria Romero
Timothy Ryan
Margo Schlanger
Frederick A. O. Schwarz, Jr.
The Hon. William Sessions
Hilary O. Shelton

Imagine all these folks in one room together?

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Well, glad to bring them a little publicity (well, me and the BBC).

And welcome to DU!
:hi: