Unit: Economics of the American Prison System Aim: How can we apply economic principles to the American prison system? Do Now: How much, on average, does it cost to house a single prisoner in the United States, per year? How many prisoners do we have in the U.S.? Review – what are the economic impacts of the war on drugs, based on our discussion and the video we viewed? “Minor drug offenders fill your prisons, you don't even flinch…All our taxes paying for your wars against the new non-rich” ---System of Down, Prison Song

To what extent do you think legalization could have an economic impact To what extent do you think legalization could have an economic impact? Make a cost-benefit analysis, weighing impact of increased drug addiction versus potential revenues of legalization

Summary Discussion – the economics of the drug wars Do you believe that the drug wars have been economically beneficial, or detrimental to the U.S., as a whole? To what extent does an influx of illegal drugs have a negative economic impact on society? How does drug addiction impact society economically? In what ways might legalizing drugs have a positive economic impact? A negative one?

The Economics of Getting in Trouble What are the economic detriments (bad impacts) of sending kids to ISS? Think in terms of opportunity costs and trade-offs Do you think it’s effective? What would be a better solution to misbehavior if ISS doesn’t work? Should ISS exist, but only for certain infractions? If so, which ones?

The American Prison System – what do you know about the American prison system? How does it operate? How large of an organization is it?

In the past six years, Geo Group was awarded nearly $880 million from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to government contracting data compiled by SmartProcure.us. In July, ICE, the agency responsible for immigration detention, modified its contract with Geo Group to convert the company's adult detention center in Karnes County, Texas to house families. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) detention center in Elizabeth, N.J., that the private prison contractor runs for the government

Prison Data: U.S. Statistics reveal that the United States holds 25% of the world’s prison population, but only 5% of the world’s people. From less than 300,000 inmates in 1972, the jail population grew to 2 million by the year 2000. In 1990 it was one million. Ten years ago there were only five private prisons in the country, with a population of 2,000 inmates; now, there are 100, with 62,000 inmates. It is expected that by the coming decade, the number will hit 360,000, according to reports. What has happened over the last 10 years? Why are there so many prisoners?

What are the economic costs of sending someone to prison (either adult or juvenile system)? How many prisoners does the United States currently have? What are the gender/racial demographics of the majority of U.S. prisoners? What are the crimes the majority of these people are convicted of? Do you believe that it is helpful or harmful to lock up so many of our own citizens (think in terms of a cost benefit analysis between allowing criminals to be free/rehabilitation vs. costs of prisons) Prison Discussion:

Class Reading: The Prison Industrial Complex

Discussion: The Prison Industrial Complex reading What did you find out about the economics of the prison industrial complex that you didn’t know before? How does the United States use their prisons for economic purposes? How do you feel about this? Is it justified, or is it a new form of slavery? Explain your opinion.

Ethan Nadelmann: Why we need to end the War on Drugs (TED Talk 11/2014) – 17 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWfLwKH_Eko

An Economic Analysis of Criminal Justice System Going back to our discussion of social classes – how and why do you think different social classes are treated differently by the criminal justice system? Think of what happens when celebrities break the law…

Social Control and Conflict Theory: Elites of society create the laws which govern everyone Law is instrument of repression designed for privileged to maintain their power/wealth Criminal justice system directs energies towards middle/lower classes (called “differential justice)

“White Collar” Crime (Sutherland, 1983): Refers to crimes that people of respectable and high social status commit in the course of their occupation. Includes things like income tax evasion, stock manipulation, embezzlement, misrepresentation in advertising, etc.) 14

Economic Analysis of Policies What are some of the policies/rules, etc. that you find particularly annoying at school? (dress code, classroom behaviors, electronic device policy, leaving the building, etc.) Do you find the enforcement of the rules for any of these rules biased towards a particular group? Now, putting your opinion of them aside, why do they exist as rules (what the idea behind them)? What are the associated punishments for not following certain rules? Are they effective or ineffective? Thinking like you were in charge of the school, what are some genuine problems that you think we deal with in schools? How much do these problems impact the quality of our school? Let’s say there were no rules (or much fewer), do you belive that the school would be better or worse?

Labeling Theory (societal-reaction approach): Does not focus on why some individuals commit deviant acts, but attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants, delinquents, bad kids, losers, and criminals whereas others whose behavior is similar are not 16

Social Perceptions of Prostitution… How are prostitutes viewed by our society? Why isn’t prostitution looked at with the same prestige as other work? Why isn’t it even perceived as work? If promiscuity is legal, why is prostitution illegal? Would prostitution be viewed differently if it were a male enterprise, predominantly? Why do other nations such as Holland perceive prostitution differently? How do you personally view it? Why does our legal system disproportionately use negative legal sanctions on the women who engage in prostitution, and not on the men who frequent prostitutes? Do you agree with this?