Oh, How Things Evolve … Into Repression!
— Private prisons, private probation, private policng
[This article was originally written on Steemit.com three years ago — this is an updated and edited version.]
2/16/22 Update:
February 2, 2022 Update: From a prospectus begun in 2018, Bain and Vista completed their merger of three corporations into one giant private policy entity called CentralSquare Technologies.
Private profit-driven technology telling cops what to do, perhaps where, when and how to do it and who to get?
Will private corporate algorithms relieve police officers from decision-making or will they target certain communities for selective enforcement? Will you feel the same walking down the street? It’s no longer a matter of looking over your shoulder to see what’s coming after you — it’s right there in front of you. It’s to your left and to your right … everywhere you turn!
‘Big Brother’ Anonymous!
Interesting that vulture capitalist corporate warlords Bain Capital and Vista Equity Partners will use “equity and debt” to bring Orwellian policing to communities. How do you feel about the fact that one in every 107 Americans is in jail, or that one in every 52 are on probation and this is with only prisons and probation departments privatized? How’s it feel to know 12% of all Americans have felony convictions?
How would you feel about cops, instead of being publicly funded, functioned on funding from the future on the private dime?
Do you think it’s a good idea to implant private corporations behind policing in America?
What happens when a private algorithm policing corporation teams with an Eric Prince-like private soldier mercenary company?
Geez, what could possibly go wrong!?!
If the money is there the politicians, and their inside connections (uncles, cousins and friends), are gonna go with it. As always, they’ll get well-greased for the effort. The investor class will have their best brokers raking in privy oligarch types for the ground floor on soon-to-become a very great private policing investment . It’ll become a you-can’t lose true money-maker!
It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. This was done over and over in the build-up and implementation of America’s immoral and illegal drug war! There’s been great profits made on drug testing, urine testing, ankle braceleting and breathlyzing devices. Think of all the police departments that got beefed up from draconian drug forfeiture laws!
Yes, indeed. Today, the infant form of robo-cop is entering the market.
So be careful who you vote for. When you do cast your ballot, I’d recommend not voting for anyone advocating same-oldism ’cause already too many Americans have become orphans of a corrupt criminal justice system. How can Americans carry pride when they are forced to admit that 25 percent of the world’s prisoners are in our jails?
And this is with public policy for policing! Think what it’ll become like with private policing!!!
Below is an excerpt, published in Techcrunch.com, regarding the announcement of the new Bain and Vista investment. Just think. If more and more people buy corporate shares for private policing this will make the likelihood of it happening even greater. If you’ve got the money to play with, profiting can be catchy!
>>>”The new business, which will be run by Superion’s chief executive, Simon Angove, will continue to offer the same suite of services it had in the past, and will use a new, undisclosed infusion of equity and debt from Bain and Vista to develop new products and services to bring to market. In all, the revenue of the combined company will be roughly $400 million, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
About two-thirds of the revenue of the combined companies will come from providing software and services to public safety departments, like police, fire and emergency services.”<<<
Private policing operating from algorithms could become dangerously widespread in our society. You see, it’s not necessarily a matter of justness of cause, rather it becomes how money and profit work! The emphasis, as usual, will be more the taking than the giving, and it won’t matter if a lot of people become harmed from the process.
This is precisely what is wrong with our society! Only you can change it!
Additional Reading:
https://www.policemag.com/362034/superion-acquires-public-safety-corporation
