 | Perhaps one of the worst policies of Gov. Frank Keating (and most controversial at the time) was the idea of shipping out our massively growing prison population to businessmen who set up corporate prison compounds. Keating was a former FBI agent and he had all the mindset of a "get tough" authoritarian. He was convinced that Oklahoma would be a far safer and more civil society if we just had the determination to use massive prison sentences to "scare them straight".  |
We now have politicians getting re-elected with political contributions from the private prison lobby. Genius political move, but completely ill-motivated.
Last November, the voters of Oklahoma loudly spoke when they passed State Questions 780 & 781. The 17% margin totally deflated the bluster of the prosecutors who became disciples of the Keating doctrine of piling on long prison sentences, then shipping convict so far away from their families and support, that even the words of Jesus Christ became seldomly practiced ("When was I in prison, and you came to visit me?"). Some legislators, like Ralph Shortey, believe the voters were ignorant and their ballot results should be thrown out. Ralph is notorious for carrying unauthorized concealed firearms into the state capitol (something that the rest of us would be at least detained for doing).
But due process policies were also thwarted, because the detention officers work for a company which gets more money when they make claims on the behavior of inmates which result in longer incarcerations.
Watch the video produced by TruTV & New York University; reporting on the results of an academic research.
Last November, the voters of Oklahoma loudly spoke when they passed State Questions 780 & 781. The 17% margin totally deflated the bluster of the prosecutors who became disciples of the Keating doctrine of piling on long prison sentences, then shipping convict so far away from their families and support, that even the words of Jesus Christ became seldomly practiced ("When was I in prison, and you came to visit me?"). Some legislators, like Ralph Shortey, believe the voters were ignorant and their ballot results should be thrown out. Ralph is notorious for carrying unauthorized concealed firearms into the state capitol (something that the rest of us would be at least detained for doing).
But due process policies were also thwarted, because the detention officers work for a company which gets more money when they make claims on the behavior of inmates which result in longer incarcerations.
Watch the video produced by TruTV & New York University; reporting on the results of an academic research.
