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All over the world, more and more people are being forced into and only one branch university. Add to this the fact that increas-
illegal activity for their own survival as traditional cultures and ing numbers of women are being locked up. Between 1980 and
social structures are destroyed. Inevitably, crime and imprison- 1994, the number of women in prison increased fivefold. Women
ment rates are on the rise. And the United States law enforcement now make up the fastest-growing segment of the prison popula-
establishment is in the forefront, domestically and internationally, tion. Most of these women are mothers, leaving future genera-
in providing state-of-the-art repression. tions growing up in foster homes or on the streets. Welcome to
Within the United States, structural adjustment (sometimes the New World Order.
known as "the Contract with America") takes the form of welfare
and social service cuts, continued massive military spending and CHALLENGING THE TRANSNATIONALS
skyrocketing prison spending. Walk through any poor urban Prisons are not reducing crime. They are fracturing already-
neighbourhood: school systems are vulnerable families and communities.
crumbling; after-school programs, Poor people of colour are being
libraries, parks and drug treatment locked up in grossly disproportionate
centres are closed. But you will see numbers, primarily for non-violent
more police stations and more cops. crimes. But Americans are not feel-
Often, the only "social service" avail- The state of California now spends ing safer.
sicopooryouepenicismsion, | more on prisons than on higher ff, “mina! bene sansa
and the growing dominance of the education, and over the past deteriorating social structure, even
right-wing agenda in US politics have decade has built 19 prisons and the guise of rehabilitation is quickly
been made possible, at least in part, . . disappearing from our penal philoso-
by the successful repression of the only one branch university. phy. After all, rehabilitate for what?
civil rights and liberation movements To go back into an economy which
of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the has no jobs? To go back into a com-
leaders—Martin Luther King Jr, munity which has no hope? As edu-
Malcolm X, Fred Hampton and cation and other prison programs are
more—were sinated. Others, cut back or in most cases eliminated
like Geronimo ji Jaga Pratt, Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu- altogether, prisons are becoming vast, overcrowded holding tanks.
Jamal, have been locked up. Over 150 political leaders from the Or worse: factories behind bars.
Black Liberation struggle, the Puerto Rican independence move- Prison labour is undercutting wages—something which hurts all
ment and other resistance efforts are still in prison. Many are working and poor Americans. It's a situation which can only
serving sentences ranging from 40 to 90 years. Oppressed com- occur because organised labour is divided and weak and has not
munities have been robbed of radical political leadership which kept step with organised capital. While capital has globalised,
might have led an opposition movement. We are reaping the labour has not. While the transnationals are fashioning our planet
results. into a global village, there is still little communication or coopera-
The number of people in US prisons has more than tripled in tion between workers around the world.
the past 17 years from 500,000 in 1980 to 1.8 million in 1997. Only an internationally linked labour movement can effectively
Today, more than five million people are behind bars, on parole, challenge the power of the transnational corporations. There have
on probation or under other supervision by the criminal justice been some wonderful, shining instances of international worker
system. The state of California now spends more on prisons than solidarity. In the early 1980s, 3M workers in South Africa
on higher education, and over the past decade has built 19 prisons walked out in support of striking 3M workers in New Jersey.
and only one branch university. Add to this the fact that increas-
ing numbers of women are being locked up. Between 1980 and
1994, the number of women in prison increased fivefold. Women
now make up the fastest-growing segment of the prison popula-
tion. Most of these women are mothers, leaving future genera-
tions growing up in foster homes or on the streets. Welcome to
the New World Order.
- Parenti, Christian, "Pay Now, Pay Haq, Farhan, "US-Vietnam: (415) 252 9211, website
Later", The Progressive, 26 July 1996. McDonald's 'Happy Meals' Make