Keep Em' Down

Scott Neiger

Comm 150

March 19, 2009

Keep Em’ Down

Our most recent class activity has been listening to and responding to the narrative concerning the injustice of the American prison system. Our subsequent class discussion was very enlightening. The American prison industrial complex is a systematic approach of oppression. There is a small elite group of people who directly benefit from this modern day form of slavery. When all is said and done, the prison industrial complex is a business; a profitable business at that. As with all profitable businesses, there are people who stand to make a great deal of money. The money that is generated directly translates to the power these individuals hold in our capitalist society. Through this power they can effectively deter any changes to their “legitimate operation”.

There is an air of despair about change to most major social issues in our society. The sense of helplessness is no accident; it is by design we feel this way. All throughout the history of this country change has been made to be a daunting and insurmountable task. Our very own constitution was designed to make change in public policy extremely difficult. These roadblocks to change are still alive and well today, but in a different context—corporate America. Corporate America influences policies to directly help them to continue to make profit no matter the cost to the rest of society.

The American prison system takes advantage of the poor and downtrodden of our society. These men and women are exploited for the fiscal gain of major corporations. By keeping these people in prison for long periods of time, corporations make more and more money. The only reason these corporations can get away with this assault against the freedom of certain members of our society is to dehumanize their victims.

The prison system plays upon our perceptions of certain realties. By deeming people who break the law as criminals, the prison system can use the...