tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post1821690117936405795..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Will expanded immigration detention exacerbate Texas' prison guard shortages?Gritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-33232826571871554792008-05-27T23:39:00.000-05:002008-05-27T23:39:00.000-05:00What happens in this situation is that ICE places ...What happens in this situation is that ICE places a federal detainer on the offender they wish to deport. Like any other detainer, the offender will have to serve his state time before TDC will release the offender to the federal detention center. <BR/><BR/>Furthermore, I think (but don't quote me on this) that another state's detainer will take precedence over the federal time, so if the other state really wants the offender, he will have to serve ALL his time before ICE gets their hands on him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-3534906386892719592008-05-27T13:16:00.000-05:002008-05-27T13:16:00.000-05:00When you boil it down to its essence, the prison s...When you boil it down to its essence, the prison system is a government funded public works project for the redistribution of wealth. The tax payers pay the salaries of a legion of prison guards. It is a dangerous low-skill job but it is a living wage with health insurance. These prisons also need to be built and maintained, so there are some nice construction contracts, contracts for food, toilet paper, soap, etc... These contracts all create more jobs. The same concept applies to the US military which is certainly our largest and most expensive public works project.<BR/><BR/>When the government wants to pump more money into the economy it can't just keep building roads, dams, levees, and bridges. We have enough of those already. Maybe the ones we have could use some repair, but overall these are durable constructions that will serve citizens for years to come. So if you want to pump some more money you need something a little more transient. Education is good. Once upon a time it was rare to have a high school diploma. By pumping loads of money into education we now have a situation where most people now graduate high school. This created a new problem when we watered down the curriculum but I digress...<BR/><BR/>Anyway, our socialist military and prison programs don't suffer from the durability problem. Money spent in these areas is as good as burned with no accumulated benefit to society so the government can spend and indefinite amount. Politicians who support the military and prison are "tough and self-reliant" whereas those who support infrastructure projects, welfare, and universal healthcare are "communist pussies." <BR/><BR/>Who would you vote for to be the leader, the strong guy or the wimp? Easy.<BR/><BR/>If liberals want to really make progress in this area then you've got to start thinking like Karl Rove. Turn their strong point into their weakness with regard to prison spending. Create a world where support of growing the prison system is equated with support of growing the socialist "Nanny State." If the voters, especially conservatives, view the prison system as just another method of redistributing wealth then you <B>will</B> win. Make it happen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-4809832115629252372008-05-27T08:53:00.000-05:002008-05-27T08:53:00.000-05:00It costs twice as much to keep federal ICE prisone...It costs twice as much to keep federal ICE prisoners in private prisons because that's what the feds pay. GEO, for instance, would keep them for $50 per day if that's what they paid. Their costs are actually lower for the federal prisoners because they don't have to provide the educational and treatment services that they might with state prisoners. Now, if the feds run the prison themselves, it is more expensive because they pay their help more and offer them federal benefits, whereas (most) private prisons pay the same low wages regardless of whose prisoners they are keeping. The GEO prison in Dickens County that got so much attention because of "squalid" conditions actually got that way housing ICE prisoners. (It is now run by CiviGenics). That said, CO's won't necessarily flock to private prisons housing ICE detainees. The private companies just pocket the windfall, which is mostly the reason GEO had such a record year in earnings. <BR/>If Texas is truly holding ICE prisoners after they have been ordered deported, as anon 1 says, that needs to be addressed. But, I would like to know where this information comes from. I'm a little incredulous.donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12781137507708837166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-85449908951552108222008-05-27T08:39:00.000-05:002008-05-27T08:39:00.000-05:00I've written pretty extensively on the topic, 8:25...I've written pretty extensively on the topic, 8:25 - see <A HREF="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2007/10/which-do-you-prefer-more-organized.html" REL="nofollow">here</A> and <A HREF="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2008/02/posner-gives-conservative-case-for.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>, for example, and other <A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&q=immigration+site%3Agritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com&btnG=Search" REL="nofollow">related Grits posts</A>.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-40906743785624004662008-05-27T08:25:00.000-05:002008-05-27T08:25:00.000-05:00Everyone knows the problem Grits, and your solutio...Everyone knows the problem Grits, and your solution is?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-59351274564493928152008-05-27T07:24:00.000-05:002008-05-27T07:24:00.000-05:00Here's another interesting tidbit about Texas pris...Here's another interesting tidbit about Texas prisons and immigration. Every month, dozens of prisoners appear before an immigration judge and are ordered deported. That means the judge has found that they are either here illegally, or they have green cards but, due to their crimes, are no longer eligible to live here legally. The odd part is, after they are ordered deported, they will continue to live in Texas prisons until their sentences are finished. Texas will not release them to be deported until they have served every day of their sentence. Now, I know some fear that people deported to Mexico will just cross back over. But we're talking people being deported to places like Sierra Leone, Libya, El Salvador, whom Texas insists on keeping to finish their sentences. <BR/><BR/>Also, there is a prisoner exchange program that allows the US to "trade" prisoners who are citizens of other countries back to their home countries in exchange for getting a US citizen from that foreign country's prison system. However, to do this the Gov. of the state where the foreign citizen is imprisoned must agree. To my knowledge, Gov. Perry has never agreed to this. <BR/><BR/>My question is – does any of this make sense? Why keep a foreign citizen who has been ordered deported another 10, 15, 20 years in prison when we could deport him/her and not have Texas citizens foot the bill? And why not send those citizens to serve their time in a prison in their own country and bring a US citizen here to finish his/her sentence? Is this a “victim’s rights” issue – do people want to see the one who wronged them in a Texas prison, so they know where they are? Is it worth the cost?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com