To say that the United States is addicted to imprisoning people is an understatement. But the reason behind keeping citizens behind bars sometimes has nothing to do with public safety.
The Sheriff of Caddo Parish in Louisiana, Steve Prattor, is not a fan of his state’s new criminal justice reforms that will free many prisoners convicted of nonviolent offenses earlier than they had been scheduled to be released, and the reason is beyond appalling.
The state’s criminal justice reforms are aiming to reduce its total prison population by 10 percent by lowering the threshold for parole eligibility for nonviolent offenders, The Advocate reports.
But Prattor said that keeping the “good” prisoners in jail was necessary for the prisons to keep functioning because they could provide needed labor that you couldn’t get out of more violent and dangerous prisoners.
In a press conference held this week, Prattor fumed in his attack against criminal justice reforms.
“The prisoners that you can work, the ones that can pick up trash — but guess what? Those are the ones that they’re releasing!” he said.
“They’re releasing some good ones that we use every day to wash cars, to change the oil in our cars, to cook in the kitchen… well, they’re going to let them out!”
A video of Prattor’s press conference was posted on Twitter by Shaun King with the caption “In 38 seconds Steve Prattor, Sheriff of Caddo Parish in Louisiana, tells you why he REALLY likes keeping “goog” Black men in jail.
Watch the video below:
WATCH.
In 38 seconds Steve Prattor, Sheriff of Caddo Parish in Louisiana, tells you why he REALLY likes keeping "good" Black men in jail. pic.twitter.com/7YtxixE1rU
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 12, 2017
