We all have a price, or so I’ve been told. Whether we do or not is probably a function of our individual ethical threshold. It is no different within our prison systems or for the individuals behind badges. Like contraband, drug paraphernalia, sharp objects and the various other illegal objects that make it into our prison system on a daily basis, prison systems can’t seem to keep cell phones out of the jail cells. It’s reached a point now where prison systems are seeking outside assistance from mobile phone companies, asking them to jam mobile phone signals by flooding the prison systems with airways.
The question that comes to mind is why citizens and jail officers would risk their jobs and freedom to sneak mobile phones and other items into prisons? The answer is of course found within the basic economic models of scarcity. Items like contraband and mobile phones may sell from anywhere between 3 to 10 times their street value within the walls of our prison system. Indeed, a friend of mine who works within the local jails has been offered $35.00 for a pack of cigarettes. The lesson that won’t be learned is of course, if we can’t keep illegal items out a fully secured prison facility, with 8×10 jails cells, how in the world can we expect to keep these items out of a nation with over 9,000 miles of border?
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More like 900,000 miles of border. RIP Mandelbrot.
James, i was refering to perimeter around the 48 states.
The border with Canada: 3987 miles
The border with Mexico: 1969 miles
Pacific Coastline: (without Alaska, Hawaii, general coastal outline, not tidal shoreline): 1293 miles
Atlantic Coastline 2069 miles
Gulf Coastline 1631 miles
James Dahlberg is making a reference to fractals and their effect on border measurements. RIP Mandelbrot.
I have to believe that the purpose of these contraband laws is not, primarily, to keep Item X out of the hands of people.
In light of the way these “rules” are used, and the fact that successful enforcement of them is mathematically impossible, my conclusion is that their main purpose and function is to divide the society into a superior and inferior classes, to assert dominance, to inflict subordination on the inferior non-governmental class, and finally to justify that dominance.
The medium is the message. The “content” of the rule is less important than the fact that there is a rule, and that they are the ones enforcing it. The content of the rule could be “No wearing of purple shoes on Wednesdays.” It does not matter. The point is: you shall submit.
The main effect, purpose and function of asserting a rule is to show the slaves who’s boss. That’s the only message that we are supposed to be receiving, loud and clear.
Indeed. I have to admit life is easier when you submit. Obama, Pelosi and Reid know better than I how to spend my money. Pity they only take half.
But … what about all those studies showing the dangers of wearing purpose shoes…?
Phinn is bang-on-the-dot right.
The real insanity here is:
1. The prisons can’t keep contraband phones out of the hands of inmates.
2. Most of the aforementioned inmates are in prison for a contraband crime, i.e. drugs.
The State’s conclusion: No problem with contraband laws. The problem is all these damned non-compliant criminals!
If a picture was ever worth a thousand words….
At least 1/4 and probably 1/3 of those phones are Virgin Mobile Prepaid phones (easily recognizable by the red logo on them). I think we should legalize Virgin Mobile in the States for contributing to a criminal culture in our well run prisons.
At least 1/4 and probably 1/3 of those phones are Virgin Mobile Prepaid phones (easily recognizable by the red logo on them). I think we should illegalize Virgin Mobile in the States for contributing to a criminal culture in our well run prisons.
One other big factor, in addition to teaching ‘em who is the master and who is the slave, and no doubt the primary reason for that magnificent picture, is economic, to wit: $$$
At least back in the days when I was a regular visitor to jails for refusing to wear a license like a dog (viz. drivers license), and refusing to be tricked into”voluntarily” confessing I owed and thereby levying upon myself, a fed, state or local income tax, which events all occurred before I mastered the art of not getting caught, all of the several jails I inhabited allowed only outgoing, collect calls, and the charges were astronomical. One big reason: the warden or local sheriff, or whoever was in charge had an exclusive contract with the phone company providing the service, which included a percentage kickback on all calling charges from the prisoners’ phone for the sheriff or warden. And because of the circumstances of inmates and the sympathy or necessity of their friends and loved ones who accepted and paid the outlandish charges feeling they had no other choice, the phones available to inmates were inevitably kept busy generating whopping revenue from early morning until night, when they were shut off. And now, in addition to the revenues from the telephone company, there is also the revenue to be had from selling all those cell phones outside the facility, or perhaps from entrepreneurial guards renting them back to inmates. The wheels of just-us must be greased.
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