Welcome To Louisiana, The World's Prison Capital

The Times-Picayune :

Louisiana is the world's prison capital. The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.

Read the whole story at The Times-Picayune

Comments

[Icecube]

08:20 AM on 05/17/2012

And 75% black.

[hoperequired]

10:10 PM on 05/15/2012

Burl Cain has done amazing things with that prison. The best run prison in the country. He has compassion for all human beings and tries to give them a productive life, even though they are sentenced to life. They have their own jobs, crops, horses, make wheel chairs for unfortunate people who need them, make goods and sell them, and have a chance for redemption. Even though they are in for life, if they make an effort, they have a chance to be productive. It's quite amazing and admirable.

[Snoopwith Camel]

09:44 PM on 05/15/2012

What works is publicly run prisons under transparent, accountable management with plenty of oversight. The odd privately run prison for benchmarking purposes is a valid strategy. We have to do things better. Any entrenched interests must be rooted out we have to do things smarter; manage things better. We cannot afford a wholly privately run system paid from the public purse both in terms of long term costs and human cost.

[K August]

07:00 AM on 05/16/2012

"We cannot afford a wholly privately run system paid from the public purse both in terms of long term costs and human cost."

This is what the GOP has in mind for all our programs.......privatize them all so For Profit corporations can make money from "the public purse".

Social Security costs about 1.5% to run.......do you think corporations will run the programs for a measly 1.5% profit? Nope and they won't for Medicare or even For Profit Education corporations! Diverting public dollars to pay for massive CEO pay packages only takes away money from Education....

Vote the GOP out before they sell off big chunks of The People's Government!

[BigLeftbowski]

07:14 PM on 05/15/2012

This is just an update of the chain gangs in the old days that were also profit driven, and people were arrested on trumped up charges so they could be sent to work on them.

[Clifton Middleton]

06:06 PM on 05/15/2012

Another very religious, conservative bastion of cop and military worship, that is how the old slave master control the people. The legislature and police work together to shake down the people with craven anti marijuana laws and corruption. The entire government, business and police community act like a continual criminal enterprise.

[Enroh Mot]

06:14 PM on 05/15/2012

Repent the End is Fear.

[averagezoe]

05:49 PM on 05/15/2012

I lived in LA for almost a year and it's not a pleasant place. Aside from New Orleans, there's really nothing there except for a bunch of crawfish eating DCF's (dumb cajun f***s). No wonder so many wind up in prison.

[Manu1]

05:22 PM on 05/15/2012

The States are a wonderful country! Congrats!

[Enroh Mot]

05:38 PM on 05/15/2012

Manu Ginobili feels the same way, wonderful time to be a San Antonia Spur.

[bellsblu2]

05:08 PM on 05/15/2012

I feel a vacation infomercial coming on......

[Christian Howell]

04:41 PM on 05/15/2012

God, why did you strand me here?

[Enroh Mot]

04:51 PM on 05/15/2012

Hell is overcrowded, besides heaven has 24 hour surveillance, even thoughts are monitored, so relax, it's not that bad here.

[Christian Howell]

08:22 PM on 05/15/2012

Really? So why do I use this as my avatar when I'm a clean cut nerdy type?

[pinetrale]

12:23 AM on 05/16/2012

Cleverest saying I have heard in some time.l

[Enroh Mot]

03:48 PM on 05/15/2012

Many years ago I was arrested for DUI in New Orleans, spent the night at Central Lockup in an overcrowded cell, a guard came by, called out a name, somebody answered that's me, guard said are you a doctor at Charity Hospital, yes, then get out of there. Charity Hospital is where they treat all gunshot victims, including cops.

[NoWayMan]

03:33 PM on 05/15/2012

the prison industrial complex needs cheap labor.

[K August]

07:04 AM on 05/16/2012

That and they make tons of money with those taxpayer dollars.
Just wait until the GOP does this with all our other programs/agencies.
Sell everything off so a handful can make more money on us while also getting public dollars to pay for it!

[Dogvane]

03:29 PM on 05/15/2012

Proof positive that some things (prisons, for example) should never be privatized. This is a fleecing of the people of the State of Louisiana. Bobby Jindl should do something about it.

[bluetantra]

03:36 PM on 05/15/2012

Jindal's plan has been to sell state-owned prisons to private, for-profit prison enterprises like Corrections Corporation of America. Bobby Jindal is part of the problem.

[oldwolf49]

03:10 PM on 05/15/2012

Well I could say it but does it need repeating yet again? It rhymes with Black.

[Eric4969]

09:59 PM on 05/15/2012

You Talking about that Desease? What else are Americans being locked up for Cancer (Smoking) Costing Tax Payers, Obesity (Poor Diet) Cost Tax Payers, ADD Parents unable or uneducated to PARENT Costing Tax Payers Anyways Legalize all drugs or illegal all drugs Cant have it both ways unless you control the LAWS OOPS!!!!!!!!

[oldwolf49]

04:50 AM on 05/16/2012

Not sure your issue.

[Enroh Mot]

03:04 PM on 05/15/2012

Your honor, not only do I deny the allegations, I despise the alligators.

[Enroh Mot]

03:02 PM on 05/15/2012

FBI agents went to Angola to interview a prisoner, they said that it was the worst prison they had ever been to. Even though Angola isn't a private prison, they have prisoners cutting sugar cane, not an easy job.