Comments
Chippopotanuse t1_isxfw4n wrote
It’s so disgusting.
Which sadly - yes - is the vision for a “nice, cozy, America” that authoritarian conservatives want.
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Man0FTomorrow t1_isxir8f wrote
Company is based in FL. The lucky vacation winners and prisoners being treated cruelly and unusually are in Texas, Virginia and one Georgia.
"The sheriff’s offices of Washoe County, Nevada; Fairfax County, Virginia; Webb County, Texas; Brazos County, Texas; and Dawson County, Georgia—five counties for which The Appeal was able to obtain contract data—gave Smart Communications contracts to operate telecommunications services in jails"
RnDanger t1_isxixtj wrote
All of this! And I want to add that Florida doesn't let formerly convicted felons vote unless the governor personally feels like it. They passed a citizen's constitutional amendment to fix the problem but the republican led state government pretended to be confused about how to enact the clear language of the amendment so most people have not been made whole yet.
They are liars and cheaters and they need to be voted out if we want to have peace.
Jackinthelacks t1_isxjgxv wrote
Frozen. Due to conservatives being able to prevent any laws in congress that might stop this and Democrat being forced to have to work with conservatives to pass things. This won't stop while conservatives hold sway, as this is what they want. They like the federal government frozen while the states do what they wish. Even if it means enslaving people under the guise of working off supposed debts to society.
This is why it's important to vote, because anyone who doubts what conservatives want for this country need only look at Florida and Texas for your answers. Texas where they will protect the rich energy companies and shield them from consequences for causing deaths. Or to Florida where they will literally ship humans to places and dump them to make a political point about how absolutely trashy their viewpoint on human life really is.
fetustasteslikechikn t1_isxkqd1 wrote
Don't forget Texas somehow making a state law that allows them to deny companies who are against doing business with fossil fuel companies any ability to business with state or local entities
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/24/texas-boycott-companies-fossil-fuels/
makesameansandwich t1_isxmvou wrote
Corruption regarding telecom contracts in florida jails.
There, fixed the headline
KimJongFunk t1_isxmy5y wrote
The system is working as intended. Disenfranchised people are imprisoned and their families charged exorbitant amounts just to speak with them while the overlords go to the Caribbean.
moeburn t1_isxnx7n wrote
Legalizing corruption. Because "government regulations", aka "rules", are bad.
burneracct664453 t1_isxpkhl wrote
Ah Florida, global warming can’t drown that fascist hellhole fast enough.
Truelikegiroux t1_isxpnzk wrote
I used to work in the industry - Smart Communications is in a lot more states and jails/facilities that just those.
KilroyLeges t1_isxq4px wrote
I'm in an industry which routinely bids on projects with public entities, including states, cities, and counties. In almost every situation, there is explicit language regarding procurement regulations or laws that strictly prohibit offering any kind of gratuity to a public official. It's standard across the board to have laws in place that ban companies from offering anything of "value" to a public employee. Doing so is supposed to be grounds, at a minimum, for disqualification of that vendor from the current bid, possibly for all future business, and the potential of criminal prosecution. I guess if it's a LEO though receiving the bribe, they have no reason to prosecute?
dkggpeters t1_isxq5d1 wrote
Impeachment requires 2/3 vote in the Senate for impeachment. They do not have the numbers.
You are also assuming the Republicans will take the house.
You are really reaching and buying into their fear campaign.
KilroyLeges t1_isxquh1 wrote
I don't disagree that many in the Republican party and MAGA movement would love for this to be the result in the coming months. However, conviction in the Senate on an impeachment requires a 2/3 majority vote. There is no chance the GOP attains that level of majority in either house of Congress this November.
The Rules on how a Speaker is elected by the House are vague enough that yes, they can elect a Speaker that is not a member of Congress, like Trump, with a simple majority vote. I don't see the entirety of House Republicans choosing to go down that path. McCarthy would most likely become Speaker. There are some crazies who might go ahead and vote for Trump or someone like MTG even. If they do, they might split the Republican vote enough to kill their own plans and potentially end up with Pelosi back in as Speaker.
None of that diminishes the need to vote this November for Democrat candidates to avoid further disaster. I'm just saying that your vision is a long shot at best.
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[deleted] t1_isxtcbh wrote
I'm from California. If you think this is just a republican problem...you're sorely mistaken
SkunkMonkey t1_isxtqs1 wrote
> treating the prison population as no more than a literal captive
As enshrined in the Constitution.
It's a load of bullshit, but until that is amended out, prison slavery will continue.
ElToberino t1_isxu606 wrote
Yeah that's pretty egregious. When I was a kid, we used to get all these free movie passes because my grandpa was friends with the founder of Cinemark. My dad wound up getting in trouble for that and we had to stop, because he was a government employee. Even his children getting free movie tickets from a company completely unrelated to his position was impermissible.
TiredIrons t1_isxv7rr wrote
You know we have republicans too, right? And that they control about 1/3rd of the state?
gozba t1_isxwsjg wrote
It was ‘good’ while it lasted. But please don’t come to Europe in droves, we have enough problems housing all other refugees.
gozba t1_isxwxxb wrote
US police and race based violence?
Davran t1_isxxdp0 wrote
State government employee here. I am legally prohibited from accepting anything from anyone above a "nominal value" (usually about $5). There are exceptions, like for example if there's a coffee machine in the lobby that anyone can access it's fair game, or if they're handing out pens or something at a conference to anyone who asks.
If I'm asked to speak and offered a honorarium (which is standard for speakers in a lot of situations) it must be reviewed by our ethics attorney for any potential conflicts before I can accept.
If someone mails me a fruit basket or something for Christmas or whatever (it's never happened) I'm supposed to return it, or if they won't take it back it becomes community property in the break room.
They take this stuff very seriously, and we do too. Most of us won't even accept the free cup of coffee even though we legally could.
KilroyLeges t1_isxxqit wrote
That’s my understanding of these rules. I had a client who I built a close relationship with as we put the contract together. The lawyers on both sides slowed it so it took like a year to sign the contracts which delayed their project. The couple of main staff I worked with there and their lead procurement person and I decided to grab some drinks and dinner to celebrate and because it was right at the holidays. They wouldn’t let me pay any of their tab because of the rules, not even a shared appetizer.
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blackdragon8577 t1_isxzg0m wrote
Based on your activity in the r/MensRights and comments about veterans being the only group worth your volunteer time and how all women don't want sex from their husbands (just other people) and the way you justify using casual racism in your workplace, you seem to be more in the Republican camp. At the very least the viewpoints you express are not in line with progressive ideals.
It is pretty disingenuous to talk about being from California as if it is all progressive politics when you yourself are part of the regressive political mindset that is directly in line with the Republican thought process.
California has a bunch of Republicans and conservatives, which would include you if I had to guess based solely on the derogatory way you talk about women in society and the casual way you talk about how it is okay to use racist language in the workplace.
But you know what, maybe you are the one conservative that actually has some facts to back up the bullshit. What are the "problems" that Democrats are causing in California?
Competitive_Gate_731 t1_isxzk2f wrote
Ah yes lobbying for modern day slavery. Instead of rehabilitating we must incarcerate our own population.
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Captain_Mazhar t1_isy0wba wrote
Yep, same here in Texas. There is an absolutely stupid legal loophole regarding personalized items, which the Texas penal code assigns a value of zero because somehow they have no resale value, thus no market rate, so our ethics board had to put an internal rule in place regarding that.
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G-42 t1_isy14um wrote
Well the guvmint won't let them have slaves at home, so of course they're going to at work.
G-42 t1_isy1nxb wrote
...and all this without even bringing up the working conditions on the cruise ships...
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mces97 t1_isy35xb wrote
Why haven't the Democrats said let's introduce a constitutional amendment outlawing slavery? Conservatives always say the Democrats started the KKK. So call their bluff and have the Democrats amend the 13ths and truly make all forms of slavery illegal.
Logistocrate t1_isy42ov wrote
That statement isn't even about legal slavery ( which to be clear, you are absolutely correct about) it's more akin to why it costs 16 bucks to get a warm bud light at a ball game. Because, what other option do you have at the ball park?
Now, treating prisoners in the same manner is loathsome and immoral. The amount these outside groups charge prisoners for the ability to stay in contact with family is parasitic in just the worst ways imaginable. And, it speaks to the lack of humanity the owners of these contract companies have, as well as the lack of humanity those running the facilities have.
JamesR624 t1_isy7ycr wrote
Shh. You’ll always be downvoted if you don’t follow the corporate propaganda of “its this team vs that team”!
Most of the “intelligent” people here are just as gullible as the red hatted idiots they think they’re so much smarter than.
Disastrous-Golf7216 t1_isyagrm wrote
So when it is called a gift it is not gratuity. That is how these politicians get away with it.
Disastrous-Golf7216 t1_isybazf wrote
Causing infighting, division, and pushing us to the dark ages as fast and as hard as they can.
RoamingBison t1_isybcyk wrote
That's crazy, when I work for public sector clients I can't even buy my public sector counterparts lunch on their birthday.
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Actual_Lady_Killer t1_isyddaw wrote
I'm not allowed to let vendors pay for my lunch but they get this shit?
blackdragon8577 t1_isyfz6u wrote
Well, the insinuation you are making is that you are more intelligent than the other people in this thread.
And you seem to agree with the racist, mysigonistic guy you replied to.
So I would love to hear your take on exactly how Democrats/non-Republicans are messing up California in a way comparable to Florida and Texas.
RoboticKittenMeow t1_isyg0x3 wrote
Can I have some of what you're smoking? Lol
PrudentDamage600 t1_isyh8l4 wrote
And. Creating new laws to try to incarcerate as many as possible.
DeathByGoldfish t1_isyj059 wrote
Wanting something and getting it are two very, very different things.
Example: I want amazing hallucinogens, but u/melbourne420surffish has taken them all. Therefore, I shall get none.
JamesR624 t1_isyjk3y wrote
Ahh. The ol “uhh. Hes racist/insert-popular-phobe-here” argument.
You people are so deluded into the infighting the corporations feed you so they can keep robbing us all. Wow.
So apparently if you criticize both corporate entities that pretend to be political parties, you’re now being “racist”? Do I have that right?
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[deleted] t1_isypops wrote
California has been using the 3 strikes law still to the disadvantage of citizens. California has one of the highest prison populations.
Neither Republicans nor democrats have done anything to ease the prison population hardly, or the jim crow Era laws still associated with it.
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ArrrGaming t1_isyt8kx wrote
The prison population and their families.
For-profit prisons should be banned completely.
pichael288 t1_isyw2ux wrote
These video chat companies are the reason jails don't even have in person visits anymore. You have to do them on a tiny screen with a phone attached to it. They mandate this in their contracts. They do this to sell you visits at home as a sort of microtransaction to see your family if they can't make it during the 6 hour window on one day of the week. It's really scummy
blackdragon8577 t1_isyxr6r wrote
No. I glanced through that assholes comment history because something about his answer bugged me. He used his state of residency to try to make himself an expert on how well democrats are running different states. It felt strange to think about it that way.
It also turns out that he makes extremely hateful comments about women and casually drops excuses for why it's okay for him to say racist things to people he works with.
Did you really think that I just assumed that guy was a racist who hated women because of that one vague statement? It took all of two minutes of reading his comment history to determine whether I should put value on anything that guy said. Why do you think I listed such specific examples?
The bottom line is that you might not be an asshole, but if you find yourself agreeing with assholes then maybe you should rethink your position.
Look through that assholes profile and tell me whether or not he is the kind of person you want to agree with philosophically.
You also aren't giving any evidence to back up your claims. I asked you a question and you completely ignored it.
Now I ask you, do I have all this right? Am I off base on anything I am saying?
rvbeachguy t1_isz1953 wrote
Only way to change is go and vote
Pissedbuddha1 t1_isz1zli wrote
>Its Florida-based CEO and founder, Jon Logan, is already controversial among critics of the criminal legal system—Logan has faced scrutiny for posting lavish images of himself on Instagram on board his yacht, driving luxury cars, and wearing expensive suits, among other high-end pursuits funded by selling expensive communications services to incarcerated people.
How on Earth does this guy sleep at night...
rymep t1_isz7x1r wrote
Because then they'll get shit on for being "soft on crime."
descendingangel87 t1_iszcing wrote
As well as laws that count prison populations as county/district populations. A lot of times they are used to steal tax dollars by fake inflating local populations as well as using it to gerrymander the fuck out of places.
Adventurous_Aerie_79 t1_iszeatg wrote
ah, corruption. Why hide it anymore. I think when America goes full corruption any day now we will outdo Russian corruption by a lot.
ArrrGaming t1_iszeh54 wrote
Of course. Of course it's worse than I thought. Thor: ^^of ^^^course
Driftwood1884 t1_isziqog wrote
The corruption in Sheriff departments is truly astounding. The DOJ needs to investigate and close them all down and send them all to jail where they belong.
MGD109 t1_iszliqe wrote
Well that's surprisingly inspiring I have to admit.
Mist_Rising t1_iszmvub wrote
>And that they control about 1/3rd of the state?
You realize that means democratic party has 2/3 which is super majority. A republican governor of such a state is virtually useless politically because they can override him/her.
Feisty-Ad5960 t1_isznmr8 wrote
"end this by voting democrat" lol fucking clown.
mces97 t1_isznorw wrote
Then you hit them back with Republicans support releasing more dangerous criminals back into the community by breaking them instead of rehabilitating them. All Lives Matter. Throw it in their face.
TiredIrons t1_iszputc wrote
That has been only true very recently, and the (very poor) structure of California's Constitution makes changes difficult to enact.
The effects of GOP influence in hamstringing policy will be resonating for some time.
unplugnothing t1_iszya8t wrote
So bribes. They’re called bribes.
DoodMonkey t1_it0116b wrote
What about the "voter fraud" folks just arrested?
mistahadvice t1_it03u9n wrote
And this isnt even about civil asset forfeiture.
ATLL2112 t1_it04zx2 wrote
I just use the same method to sneak contraband into jail to also sneak a pint of vodka into a baseball game.
Just squeeze it in there real nice and bam, $8 of vodka to last me until I get kicked out for being hammered during the 4th inning.
Koolaidolio t1_it0scfr wrote
Banking on people not knowing what’s up.
skeletor760 t1_it0xv2m wrote
I found Marjorie Taylor Green! I guess you still haven’t learned to spell “martial” 🤣
rosecitytransit t1_it15aau wrote
Plus maintaining contact can factor in how the person does once released
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branitone t1_it1smns wrote
I had no idea the word “slavery” was just chilling in the constitution until last year when my political science friend was talking about the prison system. Blew my mind. I knew we called it “legal slavery” but I always thought that was an accurate phrase, not straight up what it is.
BA_Baracuss t1_it1vfp9 wrote
US police 🤝🏻 domestic violence
Davran t1_it2bewt wrote
Haha yeah, there's no way I'd let any of the outside folks I work with pay for dinner. I've had a few folks offer me lunch because their company allows them to spring for sandwiches or whatever for visitors if the meeting is close to lunch. Those guys always seem so dejected because me declining usually means they don't get to order for the rest of the office.
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TheGunshipLollipop t1_itlpfyv wrote
"Say, would you like this free football? It's signed by some guy named Aaron Rodgers, so it has zero resale value but I thought you might need an extra football even if it has been tragically defaced."
Logistocrate t1_isxdfc3 wrote
Ah, unfettered corruption and American law enforcement...mix in treating the prison population as no more than a literal captive audience for capital gains and it just has this nice cozy American feel to it.