Yet another brief note concerning the afformentioned story, on the numbers incarcerated in the US..
Are these numbers included in the annual Unemployment Firgures? Or are they considered 'employed' through the work they perform while in prison? We're talking 2.2 million people here..
If they are employed, and recieving a wage (in Britain working' The Sheds' adds about £5 a week to your canteen account. In the States, it varies between $.65 to $1.20 a day, again added to one's account.), is this 'income'? In Britain, this is considered a 'pittance', and is therefore outside the laws governing a 'citizen'. There is no tax paid.
But, say, In the States, this income is taxable. That the government takes back a percentage of what it gives, which makes inmates taxpayers.
Now normally, inmates are not considered 'citizens'. Their rights have been curtailed, suspended for the length of time they are at the government's pleasure. But, if they're paying taxes, that must grant them the same legal rights as any other taxpayer.
The right to vote. The right to Unionize. The right to maintain a lobby at Capitol Hill, under their own ageas.
Now, that's if they're not included in the unemployment figures.
If they are, there's a damn good reason they didn't show up for work this morning.
Another point to ponder. There are reports that many medium and minimum security facilities offer their inmates better work, at better pay... they man the call-center lines, for catalogue or direct television buying. Just imagine, ordering that china bust of Elvis, and giving all your personal details to a prisoner in a State or Federal prison.
One has to wonder, are the Homeland Security people only involved with terrorism, or might they have problems within their own systems? Perhaps it's the FBI that's responsible for something like this..
Who knows?