Shaka Senghor, author and activist, discusses criminal justice reform with Ben Horowitz, arguing that purely punitive incarceration fails given that most prisoners return to public life.
“90% of the men and women who are incarcerated will at some point return to society.”
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More from Shaka Senghor
Insight
Senghor: Most non-violent drug offenders engage in violence to protect interests
“Most people who are non-violent offenders, if you sold drugs, you had to be violent at some point to protect your interests. You just didn't get caught for a violent crime.”
Shaka SenghorJan 2, 2019▶ 54:13a16z Podcast | Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You -- Life and Redemption in Prison
AssertionSupported
Senghor: Hourly wage for prison labor is 15 cents
“15 cents is an hourly wage in prison.”
Shaka SenghorJan 2, 2019▶ 39:16a16z Podcast | Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You -- Life and Redemption in Prison
Disclosure
State estimated Senghor's 17-year incarceration cost at $1 million
“When I got sued, I had about 17 years in, they estimated the cost of my incarceration to be like a million dollars.”
Shaka SenghorJan 2, 2019▶ 43:56a16z Podcast | Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You -- Life and Redemption in Prison
AssertionSupported
Senghor: U.S. prison system operates at a 70% failure rate
“The prison system is the only big business that secedes with a 70% failure rate.”
Shaka SenghorJan 2, 2019▶ 48:30a16z Podcast | Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You -- Life and Redemption in Prison
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Senghor ran a 100% profit loan operation inside Michigan Reformatory
“You know, I ran stores where, and I had a, I had like a floating economy, right? So I was in a cell block where, Michigan Reformatory has two cell blocks. It was J block and it was I block. And they get money on alternating weeks. And so the way that I made th…”
Shaka SenghorJan 2, 2019▶ 16:48a16z Podcast | Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You -- Life and Redemption in Prison
Insight
Senghor: Prison administrators must tolerate inmate economies to maintain control
“The way that those systems work is that the administration, they have to allow it to exist. Because otherwise they can't control the environment.”
Shaka SenghorJan 2, 2019▶ 17:15a16z Podcast | Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You -- Life and Redemption in Prison
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