Pubdate: Tue, 03 Feb 2015 Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ) Copyright: 2015 East Valley Tribune. Contact: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/submit_a_letter/ Website: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708 Author: Salli Nelson DISPENSARIES CAN'T GET PRODUCT LEGALLY Mr. and Ms. Legislator: How NOT to fix Arizona's deficit - by pouring more money into private prisons. * Our tax dollars go to corporations outside of Arizona that post hundreds of millions in profits. * The jobs in private prisons do not pay well and have high prisoner-to-staff ratios, making them dangerous for prisoners and staff alike. * Careers and families are ruined with high incarceration rates for minor offenses because Arizona agreed to fill every bed or pay a penalty to the corporation. * The USA has only 5 percent of the planet's population and 25 percent are inmates because prisoners are not people who made a mistake and can be rehabilitated, they are just corporate revenue. Instead of cutting school funds, let's redirect the private prison money into ensuring kids get an education that will help them on the road to being productive citizens and not future prisoners. Salli Nelson Mesa - --- MAP posted-by: Matt