“Prison, too often is viewed as the quick fix for problems that society can’t or won’t confront. The devastating and tragic suicide of a Rutgers University sophomore prompted cries of vengeance and a call for prison sentencing. Tyler Clementi took his own life after he was “outed” by two fellow students. They had used the internet to expose the young man’s homosexuality…” Read the full post after the jump!

Hollywood, Crime, and the Sponsorship of the Prison-Industrial Complex

“…Crime sells. Advertisers flock to crime programs. And many of the products endorsing these shows are subsidiaries of corporations that sustain the prison industrial complex. They have an investment in selling crime.

Drug laws in the 1970′s led to a swelling prison population around the nation. the building and maintenance of new prisons meant big dollars for architects, construction companies, manufacturers of steel and other providers for institutions. A visit to the annual American Correction Association convention would validate this. Large arenas are host for vendors selling their wares to buyer from 50 States and the Feds. Barbed wire and non-flammable blankets are sold by the ton, metal cots are sold and various food contracts are consummated. The orders come in by the thousands and profits are measured by the number of institutions built and the number of individuals in lockup…”

Read David’s full article after the jump!

Community Meetings at “the Castle” + the Genesis of The Castle Play

Producing, directing, and touring with the play The Castle, which also I conceived and wrote with the help of the four cast members, has been a rewarding experience for me. It is the journey of three men and a woman, all of whom have been in prison and who arrived at The Fortune Academy to reclaim their lives…