I agree. My only point is that it's not particularly more of a "complex" or captured industry that it deserves a special status as a "complex. It's not like the medical industry or the defense industry, no where near. It's more of a niche. The real policy decisions are driven by other factors.

We spend 1% on PUBLIC SAFETY, that's not the same thing as incarceration. As I just said. The federal bureau of prisons is 7 billions, similar to other government agencies.

The federal bearau of prisons budget is approximately 7 billion. That's similar to the FDA, patent office, and half the cost of NASA. It's a trivial amount compared to Medicare/Medicaid spending.

There are entire towns dependent on asbestos litigation (seriously). But people don't talk about the asbestos plaintiff industrial complex.

Agree. that's because we are crazy, racist, and paternalistic. I just don't believe that it's the result of some vast evil prison industrial complex.

200 billion is trivial compared to other industries. People vastly exaggerate the "prison industrial complex"