US prisons not rehabilitative, boost crime rate: Analyst
The US prison industry is partially responsible for the rise of murder and other acts of criminal violence in the country, says a political commentator in Baltimore.
Myles Hoenig made the remarks while discussing the spike in homicides in major cities across America over recent months.
Homicides in roughly 30 US cities spiked by 9 percent over the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period last year, according to a report issued by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
“A related cause of this spike is definitely the strength of the prison industry,” Hoenig said. “Prisons in America are not rehabilitative.”
“They (prisons) are primarily for punishment, with the side effect of creating internal networks for drug gangs, especially preparing those who would soon be released to carry on their illegal activities that so hurt the communities in which they live,” he noted.
The analyst went on to say that the prison industry is a major supporter of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and “is likely to thrive when it ought to be outlawed,” in case she becomes president.
Referring to the racial aspects of the issue, Hoenig said that American media systematically ignore “white on white” crime and magnify the much lower crime rate of racial minorities “for the purpose of maintaining a falsely painted image of life in depressed areas.”
Noting that most American policemen are killed by white assailants, Hoenig argued that blacks, Muslims and other racial minorities are subject to constant media bias.
“When it’s one-on-one violence, it’s often reported as a black killing a black, with all the ugly stereotypes that are involved. But when it’s most likely a white, middle class male engaged in a mass murder, the issue is mental health. If it’s a Muslim involved, of course it’s international terrorism,” he explained.
“As many cities are spiking now, it’s imperative that we demilitarize the conditions as a way of healing our cities,” he concluded.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association also reported increases in rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults and non-fatal shootings.
The report comes two days after FBI Director James Comey linked the recent increase in crime to the so-called “viral video effect,” a theory that police officers have been less aggressive because of concerns about being recorded and potentially charged with a crime.
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