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Every Tuesday night at 9pm EST there is an excellent twitter chat called #HipHopEd . Last night’s topic was, ‘What Is Hip Hop’s Role In The School To Prison Pipeline?’ I used this time to breakdown the connection between hip hop and private prisons, which fuel the School To Prison Pipeline.
While hip hop is not solely and directly responsible for the School To Prison Pipeline, it definitely plays a role as those who control what we listen to and see invest in private prisons.
CCA is the Corrections Corporation of America, they are the oldest & largest private prison company in the United States. Not only have they capitalized on the failed war on drugs by housing drug offenders, they also found a way to bring in new revenue by incarcerating undocumented immigrants.
GEO is the second largest private prison company in the U.S. and has facilities in the UK, Australia and south Africa.
When we dig into the financials, investments & shareholders of media conglomerates and private prisons, we begin to see some familiar names. Vanguard is one name that comes up frequently as their hands dip in both media interests AND private prisons. Not only is Vanguard the largest shareholder in CCA, they are also the largest shareholder in GEO. When you hold as much stock as Vanguard, it is easy to assume, and rightfully so, that there is enough power to decide what we see and hear on the radio and tv.
*I know you all are sticklers for wording, so let me say that filling the radio stations with music that glamorizes criminal lifestyles and drug use is only ONE of MANY ways to help fill prisons when crime rates are down & companies like CCA are requiring 90% occupancy*
As always, please don’t take anything that I blog on here for fact. These are my truths as I have researched for myself, now I urge you to do the same. I have posted some links to help get you started. Let’s continue to learn and educate ourselves and others so we can work collectively to dismantle the the prison industrial complex!
Time Warner Cable Holdings: http://bit.ly/1qXjzJu
CCA Holdings: http://bit.ly/1mnlhMA
GEO Holdings: http://bit.ly/1oE9JJd
Letter sent by CCA soliciting states to keep prisons 90% full: http://huff.to/1qXiv8p
GEO website: http://www.geogroup.com/
CCA website (take a look at their board of directors, you’ll find a familiar name on there): http://www.correctionscorp.com/
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