Prison Town

Paying the Price

Artist: Kevin Pyle • Writers: Kevin Pyle & Craig Gilmore
Real Cost of Financing and Siting of Prisons writer/presenter: Craig Gilmore
Art Director & Cover Design: Chris Shadoian
Real Cost of Prison Project Director: Lois Ahrens

The Real Cost of Prisons Project brings together prison/justice policy activists with political economists to create workshops and materials which explore both the immediate and long-term costs of mass incarceration on the individual, her/his family, community and the nation.

Two additional comic books are part of this series: Prisoners of the War on Drugs and Prisoners of Hard Times: Women and Children. If you would like copies of these comic books to assist your group in its organizing work, contact Lois Ahrens. Or you can go to www.realcostofprisons.org and download the entire series.

This comic book can be downloaded free of charge from the Real Cost of Prisons website. Please credit the Real Cost of Prisons Project. Any reproduction requires written permission of the Real Cost of Prisons Project, except for small excerpts for review or publicity purposes.

The Real Cost of Prisons Project is an activity of The Sentencing Project, a Washington, DC based non-profit dedicated to reducing over-reliance on incarceration. The Real Cost of Prisons Project is supported by a grant from the Community Advocacy Project of the Open Society Institute.

THANK YOU

Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Tracy Huling, Peter Wagner, Eric Cadora, Todd Clear, Dina Rose, N.C. Christopher Couch, James Heinz, Marc Mauer, Malcolm Young, Raquiba LaBrie, William Johnston and Helena Huang.

ISBN: 0-9763856-0-0 • Art and stories are © and TM 2005 The Real Cost of Prisons Project. All Rights Reserved.

Write to us at 5 Warfield Place, Northampton, MA 01060. Printed in Canada.

DUE TO MANDATORY SENTENCING, THREE-STRIKES YOU'RE-OUT AND HARSH DRUG LAWS, THE PRISON POPULATION HAS GROWN BY MORE THAN 370% SINCE 1970.

MOST OF THESE PRISONERS ARE JAILED IN RURAL AMERICA.

BETWEEN 1990 AND 1999, 245 JAILS AND PRISONS WERE BUILT IN RURAL AND SMALL TOWN COMMUNITIES, WITH A NEW ONE OPENING SOMEWHERE EVERY FIFTEEN DAYS.

THERE ARE MORE PRISONS IN AMERICA THAN WALMARTS. THERE ARE MORE PRISONERS IN AMERICA TODAY THAN FARMERS.

THESE PRISONERS ARE NOW SEEN AS AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

"WHEN LEGISLATORS CRY 'LOCK'EM UP!,' THEY OFTEN MEAN 'LOCK'EM UP IN MY DISTRICT!"

-FORMER NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATOR DANIEL FELDMAN.

CAN MAKE SITING A PRISON DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE PUBLIC MIGHT FIND OUT BEFORE THE DEAL IS SET.

TOWN MEETINGS ARE SPONSORED AND COMMUNITY GROUPS LOBBIED. A JUSTICE DEPT. BRIEFING ADVISES "LIMITING THE TIME PERIOD FOR DECISIONMAKING."

IN 1996, OREGON SITED SIX PRISONS IN SIX MONTHS UNDER OREGON'S "SUPER SITING LAW" WHICH MADE PRISONS EXEMPT FROM STATE LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

IN MENDOTA, CA WHERE THE FBOP WANTED TO BUILD A 5 PRISON "CORRECTIONS COMPLEX." THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WAS AVAILABLE ONLY IN ENGLISH DESPITE THE FACT THAT 86% OF THE LOCAL POPULATION SPEAKS SPANISH. EVENTUALLY A SPANISH-TRANSLATED 10 PAGE SUMMARY OF THE 1000 PAGE DOCUMENT WAS PROVIDED.

A FLORIDA D.O.C. TASK FORCE FOUND THAT LOCAL ZONING LAWS HINDER ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR NEW FACILITIES. IN RESPONSE, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED THE CORRECTIONAL REFORM ACT OF 1983, WHICH GAVE THE STATE THE AUTHORITY TO OVERRIDE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN SELECTING SITES FOR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

REEVES COUNTY, TEXAS ISSUED 3 BONDS OVER 15 YEARS, $90 MILLION, TO BUILD 3 FACILITIES IN THE DYING OIL TOWN OF PECOS. JUDGE JIMMY GALINDO, THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE DEAL SAYS: "... WE LIVE IN A PART OF THE COUNTRY WHERE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN JOBS IN A GLOBAL MARKET. [PRISONS] BECOME A VERY CLEAN INDUSTRY FOR US TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT TO CITIZENS." "I LOOK AT IT AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT."

MANY MUNICIPALITIES ARE EXPANDING THEIR JAIL FACILITIES IN ORDER TO RENT BEDS TO OVERCROWDED FEDERAL AND STATE PRISONS.

SANILAC COUNTY, MI HOPES IT WILL GET ABOUT $900,000 IN REVENUE THIS YEAR FROM RENTING BEDS.

IN STANLEY, WI PRIVATE DEVELOPERS MANAGED TO SITE AND BUILD A $60 MILLION 1,326-BED PRISON WITHOUT ONE ELECTED OFFICIAL CASTING A VOTE OR SIGNING A BILL. IN 2001 THE STATE BOUGHT THE PRISON FOR $82.5 MILLION.

"IT FLATLY INTRODUCES MONEY AND THE DESIRE FOR PROFIT INTO THE IMPRISONMENT POLICY DEBATE, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT AN ENTITY IN WISCONSIN, A PRIVATE ENTITY, WITH A STRONG FINANCIAL INTEREST IN KEEPING PEOPLE IN PRISON AND HAVING THEM SENTENCED TO PRISON." -WALTER DICKEY- FORMER WISCONSIN STATE CORRECTIONS CHIEF.

TODAY IN MISSISSIPPI, WHERE THE CELL SUPPLY HAS OUTRUN THE CRIMINAL SUPPLY, LAWMAKERS, LOCAL SHERIFFS, AND PRIVATE-PRISON INTERESTS ARE ALL COMPETING FOR THE SCARCE SUPPLY OF PRISONERS.

ONE WEBSITE, JAILBEDSPACE.COM, CONNECTS RENTERS WITH SELLERS. "IT'S A GOOD MARKETING TOOL," SAYS LT. ROBERT LEFEVER OF THE PUTNAM COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, WHICH RENTS OUT AN AVERAGE OF 60 BEDS PER DAY.

How Prisons Are Paid For [and who really pays?]

What is a bond? A bond is a loan made to a government.

Governments pay investment bankers to make the loan attractive ('structure the deal') and find lenders ('issue the bonds'). Governments then pay lenders ('bondholders') principal and interest on the loans.

Governments issue two broad categories of bond: General Obligation (GO) bonds and Revenue Bonds.

General Obligation bonds are guaranteed by the taxing power of the state. Most GO Bonds require approval by the voters, and in many states by 2/3 of the voters. Revenue Bonds are designed to be paid off by revenues generated by the project being built, like highway tolls, bridge tolls, student tuition, etc.

Most prisons are now built with some form of Revenue Bond, even though prisons generate no real revenue and Revenue Bonds cost taxpayers more to repay. Why would a state use the most expensive way to borrow money to build prisons? Because voters have consistently voted down GO Bonds to build more prisons. Using revenue bonds to build prisons is a means of getting around the voters and taxpayers.

IN THE 1990S, AN AVERAGE OF 25 PRISONS A YEAR WERE BUILT IN RURAL AMERICA.

ON AVERAGE, 80% OF NEW PRISON JOBS GO TO FOLKS WHO DON'T LIVE, OR PAY TAXES, IN THE PRISON TOWN.

79 WENT TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.

AND, AS IT TURNS OUT, PRISONS ATTRACT CHAIN STORES, WHICH PUSH OUT LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESS.

ACCORDING TO THOMAS JOHNSON, AN ECONOMIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, PRISONS ARE NOT VERY GOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES BECAUSE THEY CREATE FEW LINKS TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

PRISONS GENERALLY ORDER FOOD AND SUPPLIES FROM CENTRALIZED STATE WAREHOUSES-- NOT LOCAL GROCERY OR HARDWARE STORES.

COMMUNITY WORK PROJECTS PERFORMED BY PRISONERS ARE VERY COMMON AND PRISON OFFICIALS SEE THEM AS GOOD "COMMUNITY RELATIONS." IN THE PAST, HOWEVER, THESE JOBS EMPLOYED LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO PAYED TAXES AND SPENT LOCALLY.

AFTER A PRISON WAS BUILT IN SUSANVILLE, CA, CAROL JELDNESS, A MEDIATOR FOR THE FAMILY COURT, SAW HER CASELOAD,-MAINLY CHILD CUSTODY AND DIVORCE, JUMP FROM 167 TO 320 IN ONE YEAR.

"I SPENT 8 TO 16 HOURS A DAY IN SOLID BULLSHIT...YOU HEAR CURSING ALL DAY, AND YOU COME HOME AND THAT'S ALL YOU THINK ABOUT. IT DID TRAGEDY ON MY FAMILY." - GUARD AT SUSANVILLE PRISON

REEVES COUNTY STILL HAS TO SERVICE THAT DEBT AS WELL ALL THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE 3 PRISONS

IN LAKEVIEW, OREGON A CONTRACT WITH THE PRISON SAYS THAT IN EVENT OF WATER SHORTAGES THE PRISON HAS PRIORITY.

"WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE AT EVERY NEW PRISON WE HAVE BUILT." -FORMER COLORADO DOC DIRECTOR JOHN SUTHERS

"ONCE YOU HAVE THE REPUTATION OF A PRISON TOWN, YOU WON'T BECOME A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY TOWN, OR AN INTERNET OR SOFTWARE COMPANY TOWN, OR EVEN A DIVERSE TOURISM AND COMPANY TOWN."

MILLION DOLLAR BLOCKS30

THERE ARE BLOCKS IN BROOKLYN, NY, AND OTHER PLACES, WHERE THE GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING $1 MILLION A YEAR.

IN THE U.S., 58% OF PEOPLE ARE IN PRISON FOR NON-VIOLENT DRUG OFFENSES.

IN NEW YORK, 75% OF THE PRISONERS COME FROM 7 AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND LATINO NEIGHBORHOODS.

PEOPLE OF COLOR MAKE UP 87% OF THE NEW YORK PRISON POPULATION GROWTH SINCE THE 1970S.

65% OF FEMALE U.S. STATE PRISONERS HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN.

87% OF PRISONERS IN NEW YORK ARE CAGED MORE THAN 2 HOURS FROM NEW YORK CITY.

IN FACT, GIVEN THE HUGE CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE BEING LOCKED UP FROM TARGETED NEIGHBORHOODS, THE OPPOSITE APPEARS TO BE TRUE.

WHEN YOU TURN SOMEONE INTO A PRISONER YOU PUT THEM ON A ROAD THAT IS VERY HARD TO GET OFF. TWO IN THREE PEOPLE WILL END UP BACK IN PRISON - HALF OF THOSE DUE TO PAROLE VIOLATIONS, NOT NEW CRIME

WITH 98% OF PEOPLE LEAVING PRISON RETURNING TO THAT SAME, UNCHANGED BLOCK, A PLACE WITHOUT JOBS, EFFECTIVE DRUG COUNSELING, OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS THIS WAY?

THE COUNTY HAD THE LESS VIOLENT YOUTHS SERVE THEIR SENTENCES BY PERFORMING COMMUNITY SERVICE, WHICH REDUCED THE YOUTH IMPRISONMENT BY 72%.THIS ALSO SAVED $17,000 PER CASE THAT THEY COULD REINVEST IN SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, DRUG TREATMENT, AND OTHER PROGRAMS.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT QUALITY EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORMS OF CRIME PREVENTION AND DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS COST MUCH LESS THAN IMPRISONMENT.

readers respond

PART I

I read the comic books of The Real Cost of Prisons Project to educate myself about the human consequences of imprisonment in the United States, so I am delighted to see that these will now be published in a single volume for the general public. The drawings and texts combine powerful factual data with personal stories which cannot fail to touch the heart.

They dig beneath the obvious — the dehumanization, the racism, the tearing apart of families, the absurdity of the "war on drugs" — to show how poverty and desperation bring people into a system which then exploits them for the profit of a prison-industrial complex. I cannot think of a better way to arouse the public to the cruelties of the prison system than to make this book widely available.

–HOWARD ZINN

In our anti-incarceration work in the deep rural south of Louisiana, these comic books turned out to be a big hit with the folks we do outreach with, typically poor children and families of color, targeted by the juvenile justice system in Louisiana. They helped explain in simple terms what can be a difficult issue to explain, especially in the few minutes you may have with a potential new member.

These comic books were of great value to all of us in Louisiana!

–GRACE BAUER
Statewide Community Organizer
Families and Friends of Louisiana's
Incarcerated Children

The Real Cost of Prisons comics are among of the most transformative pieces of information that the youth get to read. We take it with us to detention centers, group homes, youth shelters and social justice organizing projects. Everywhere we go we see youth nodding with agreement and getting excited to see their reality validated in print. And when they get that acknowledgment that the system is as complicated, targeting and marginalizing as they know it to be, they start wondering how they can make changes to their lives and to the world. The Real Cost of Prisons help youth know what's up and gives them the push they need to get active in the struggle to make interpersonal and community-wide change.

–SHIRA HASSAN
Co-Director
Young Women's Empowerment Project,
Chicago, IL

The format of the comic books makes complicated, interrelated concepts accessible to the layperson. If this country is to end its addiction to incarceration, this is just the sort of well-researched material that our citizens must understand.

– CHARLES SULLIVAN
Executive Director
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants
(CURE)

An accessible, compelling, and informative look at America's answer to many of our social welfare and public health problems — lock 'em up. This costly and ineffective approach is destroying families and undermining American values of liberty, compassion, and progress. These comics have been enthusiastically received by prisoners, students, families, social justice activists, legal advocates, academics and policy makers alike. Feedback has consistently been that the comics are an extremely effective education and organizing tool. National Advocates for Pregnant Women has found them to be an extremely valuable resource, helping people to gain quickly a comprehensive overview of the truth about prisons, jails and the human suffering caused by a dangerous and counterproductive war on drugs and low-income families.

–LYNN M. PALTROW, JD
Executive Director
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
New York, NY

Each comic book comes at the prison industry from a different angle and provides the readers with a depth that belies its comic format. They offer a terrific comprehensive overview of the problems we face as a result of mass incarceration. It's exciting to have a digestible format that teaches people that far from making us safer, the prison industry destroys families and individuals, doesn't support communities, and is bad public health and poor long-term economics.

–ALLAN CLEAR
Executive Director
The Harm Reduction Coalition

We have used all three of the comic books as educational and organizing tools in our work challenging pollution and prisons. Our agency offers opportunities for self-determination among those most adversely and disproportionately impacted by this country's reliance on mass incarceration and fossil fuels: our young people. So these creative tools for social change have ventured with us into local facilities for incarcerated youth, public school classrooms which we identify as the start of the "school to prison" pipeline, and the streets of our "enlightened community" where we connect the dots between 500-year-old issues of prejudice, inequality, oppression, and discrimination with the increased use of policing, supervision, detention, and incarceration nationwide and abroad. These comic books are a popular and potent resource!

–LESLIE F. JONES, ESQ.
Executive Director
Southern Tier Advocacy & Mitigation Project
Ithaca, NY

The RCPP series brings to light the stark realities of the U.S. prison system. The comic-book format makes complex issues such as the war on drugs, prison economics, and family impacts accessible to a broad audience.

By doing so, it is helping to build a new generation of change agents for reform.

–MARC MAUER
Executive Director
The Sentencing Project
Washington, DC

As I sat reading this comic book, I slowly felt my heart get heavy and the tears well up in my eyes. The statistics alone can make a person want to cry, throw up, and rip their hair out all at the same time. When you add real-life stories, with names and histories, it becomes even more painful. And truthfully, the most painful part of this for me is that every single woman who is in the prison system (and a large percentage of those who are not in the prison system) has a story similar to these stories.

I really hope that I can turn my emotions from reading this book into actions than can help prevent future stories like those told in the book.

–NADIA SCHREIBER
Feminist Theory Class
NYC Lab High School

The real cost of prisons: a simple enough concept for a complex reality. The cost is measured in many ways: in the lost talents of those who are spending years of their lives behind bars, shut away from families and communities; in the pain suffered by those whose lives are damaged or destroyed by crime; in the frustration and wasted energy of those who devote their lives to "protecting" society and "correcting" the convicted, but who see that the impact of their labor is often negligible, if not negative; and in our vast public corrections expenditures, which draw resources away from much-needed social investment.

We can do better than locking our fellow citizens in cages. We have the resources, we have the creativity, and we have the ability to enact real justice. All we need now is the political will. And it all starts with realizing what the problems are. The Real Cost of Prisons Project goes a long way in opening a window to our understanding of the issues of crime and justice affecting us all. Through the creativity of this unique medium, the issues are brought to life and made accessible to people of all ages. I have used these comic books in my classes inside prison, which include both incarcerated students and non- incarcerated university students. Everyone appreciates the depth of the content, the richness of the style, and the complexity that is rendered through a few deceptively simple strokes of a pen. They speak volumes.