Columbia becomes the first US university to divest from private prison companies

Re:Columbia becomes the first US university to divest from p... by andrewstuart on Tuesday June 23, 2015 @11:35PM (#9769391)

If the futile and counter productive prohibition of drugs comes to an end then all those prisons won't be needed.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Columbia becomes the first US university to divest from p... by shill on Wednesday June 24, 2015 @01:32AM (#9769823)

The Corrections Corporation of America noted this as a risk factor in their 2011 10-K filing.

"The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by criminal laws."

Source: http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/displayfilinginfo.aspx?f...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Columbia becomes the first US university to divest from p... by wtvanhest on Wednesday June 24, 2015 @12:09AM (#9769503)

Drug sentences are only part of the problem. Many violent and non-violent crimes carry far greater sentences than they did in the 1970s.

Extremely high sentences do several bad things, first, they normalize giving extremely high sentences so relatively a 3 year sentence seems low, when in reality, that is nearly 5% of someone's life. Second, large sentences force otherwise innocent people to plea out of charges because the risk is simply too high.

[ Parent | on HN ]