• Tedesche@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Read the article. They’re paying for bottled water. They have access to regular tap water, but some people are saying the tap water in these very old prisons isn’t fit for drinking.

        • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I don’t think the article specifically says, but most prisons in the U.S. are privately owned. I can only imagine that’s more the case in Texas than it is the nation as a whole.

          • mrspaz@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            According to this, Texas has ~7% of their prison population in private facilities. The national rate is ~8%.

          • Chaotic Entropy@feddit.uk
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            1 year ago

            There’s an excessive perception that the US prison system is privately run. As terrible as the concept is, it is not as widespread as people think… however the US prison population is gigantic, so it still isn’t very small.

            “While the United States represents about 4.2 percent of the world’s population, it houses around 20 percent of the world’s prisoners.”

          • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Not only are most US prisons not private, but I think the article was pretty clear that this was the result of decisions ultimately made by the state.

            State prisons are still shitholes, though.

      • egeres@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        That’s insane, fucking water tap water should be free and drinkable everywhere 🤦🏻‍♂️

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      You weren’t aware in some states it’s legal to charge the prisoner for their stay? No, that’s not a joke.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          They’re slaves literally, the 13th amendment quite literally bans slavery except in the case of “lawful” confinement.

          • darthfabulous42069@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            So how can we continue to pretend we have rights when these “rights” can be taken away from us at any time, on the whim of an evil police officer or judge or DA, and we are turned into chattel slaves when they do? We don’t seriously have rights if we actually can be legally turned into chattel slaves at any time for any reason.

              • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
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                1 year ago

                That’ll never happen. There’s too many rich people and politicians.
                And dumb poor people that’ll protect them.

              • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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                1 year ago

                Careful. You’re edging into the “small government” territory that sounds great but really means less food safety and building inspection and similar services, and more stuff taken private. It’s not what we want for sure.

      • Reddit_Is_Trash@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        It’s better than you and me paying for them, as taxpayers. If they’re in prison, the least they can do is work some kind of job to repay their debt to society, especially if they’re in prison for violent crimes.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          You mistake my point, these people lately aren’t the toughened criminals that it effects. It’s people actually trying to change and stay out of jail/prison who catch lifelong debt and a reduced ability to repay that debt thus incentivizing returning to crime.

          It’s a stupid fucking idea and their stay there is repaying the debt to society if you want them to make the state money then fucking garnish. People who endorse the prison system either haven’t looked into it or just aren’t willing to see reality.