Prison industrial complex

The prison industrial complex describes the ways the government and the private sector benefit by using surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as “solutions” to economic, social and political problems; the intertwining of structures that enable profit to be generated from incarceration and, by proxy, continued oppression. - Critical Resistance & the work of Angela Davis, adapted by Michelle Xie

Examples of the Prison Industrial Complex

Incarceration rates	In 2016, Canada’s crime rates hit a 45-year low. Yet, incarceration rates hit an all time high.
Incarceration of the legally innocent	The majority of people incarcerated in Canada, 60%, are denied bail and incarcerated in advance of their trial. This means they are legally innocent.
Over-incarceration of marginalized groups	Indigenous Peoples are incarcerated 10x more often than non-Indigenous citizens; an example of systemic racism
Highly exploited labour	Federally sentenced inmates are paid a maximum of $6.90 per day for their labour. The average is $3.00 per day for their labour. Most is deducted for their basic living essentials such as cleaning products, food and accomodation, access to phones and also to the crown.

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