CLUTCH JUSTICE SUMMARY BLURB
Mass incarceration doesn’t just take people; it drains families. Phone calls, commissary, video visits, and lost income turn incarceration into a forced consumer market that fuels generational poverty while states and corporations profit.
Ask anyone with an incarcerated loved one: incarceration gets expensive. And Fast.
Mass Incarceration is BIG business, and not just for companies like Securus or GTL.
Earlier this week, a Private Michigan Prison executive boasted about unprecedented profits expected as a result of mass deportation and incarceration (the Private Prison industry is also exceptionally problematic and donated a ton of money to the Trump/Vance Campaign, but that’s a hot mess/post for another day).
There’s an old adage that if you want to send companies a message, one should vote with their dollars. While this is typically true, incarceration-impacted families do not get a choice whether they want to be a consumer of products from these massive corporate entities; you are forced into it. Adding insult to injury, many counties and states receive kickbacks from these corporate providers.
As recently as last year, lawsuits emerged alleging St. Clair and Genesee Counties of price-fixing video visits, treating them as a forced income generator.
Yes, there are meals in prison, but it’s never enough to keep someone fed. From expensive phone calls, Commissary Orders, letters, electronic messaging, video visits: NONE of it is free. Sadly, the entire model contributes to generational poverty and removes tax revenue from communities entirely.
Many times, it feels as though a family member has been taken hostage and is merely a revenue generator for the State as well as corporate entities.
The People it Hurts Most? Families
It begins as early as arrest, and well before someone is found guilty.
When a two-parent household has had their income cut in half , and a spouse can no longer find work due to charges, media coverage, or sudden incarceration, the earning potential is significantly diminished. And it’s not just due to no longer having two earners in the home; there is now one parent to do two-parents’ jobs.
Many families have found themselves in that same position. Some families have to choose between feeding their children or paying for phone calls from a loved one, severing the bonds that prevent recidivism.
What Can We Do About It?
Though it seems like a black pit of despair, there are things we can do as
- An impacted family and,
- A society.
Here’s where to get started.
As an Impacted Family
Doublecheck Your Budget
Examine your budget with a fine tooth comb. Are there costs you can cut?
- Subscriptions you aren’t really using? Cut them and reclaim your budget.
- Leverage free resources from the library like music, movies, and books instead.
- Cut down on electricity and gas use if possible.
Sell Old Stuff You Aren’t Using
I was able to sell clothes the kids outgrew, toys they no longer played with, and even clothes I no longer wore. I also sold used textbooks on PangoBooks (one of my absolute favorite resources for finding quality books on a budget).
Other ideas include having a garage sale, trade needed items with friends, or sell old stuff online; see where you can get the most money. It likely goes without saying, but be safe if you meet people to deliver goods (always meet in a public place, take a trusted friend with you).
This is now about survival: sell what you can live without.
Try Gig Work
Try out gig work on apps like Poplin, DoorDash, or Wag to make extra money. Use skills you have like crochet or knitting to make and sell things. It’s not always glamorous, but it pays the bills.
Ask for Help When You Need It.
If friends and family are offering to buy groceries, help with meals, take the help. Every penny adds up and it’s never a bad thing to accept help. You can always pay it forward later. Start a GoFundMe for a family member, if you’re able.
Additionally, contact 211; they can help you find local resources and charities.
What We Can Do as a Society
Voting: Making Informed Decisions
Like many things, it all begins at the polls. Before you vote, make sure you’re making an informed decision as your choices will ultimately affect your bottom line:
- Sit in on court cases and court watch to see how your elected officials handle cases.
- Always ask yourself, “where have my tax dollars gone?” Review your County’s budget, see how much money they are taking in and decide whether you’re truly happy with how they’re spending it. Voice your concerns if community programs are lacking and organize citizens and volunteers to address gaps.
Support Court Diversion Programs
I talk about them a lot, but Diversion Programs save money not just for court systems, but taxpayers, too. They often recognize the harms coming from separating families, and work to keep them together.
Focus on Rehabilitative Programs
Crime doesn’t happen because people are evil or bad. It happens because people are not ok; something occurred to put them in a position where they responded poorly to trauma.
Rehabilitative, educational, and counseling programs can address these issues and make a big difference in people’s lives.
Conclusion
Mass incarceration is expensive; for society, for families, for communities. It’s a problem we must actively address to stop the cycles of generational poverty.
