Join two wayward radio hosts on A Way With Words, the call-in radio show about writing, speaking, slang, old sayings, and more.

Login   •   Register  

Thursday, May 31, 2001

They have two options: either they work, or they go back to jail

"Just like many Americans in the 1950s willfully averted their eyes from the realities of segregation, now we are reluctant to face the social consequences of 2 million men and women behind bars. Sure, we revel in the dramatic reduction in the crime rate. But with most prisons in rural areas, we have the luxury of pretending that these inmates exist in some alternative universe that has no connection with our daily lives."

USA Today. What are the consequences of 600,000 peopleÑgenerally undereducated, poor and maleÑleaving federal and state prisons for the street each year?'

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

This is the personal weblog of Grant Barrett, editor of the Double-Tongued Dictionary, a collection of words from the fringes of English. More about this site...

Recent Catchwords