I can dream politics and if l like, talk about my dreams no one throws me in a gulag. I am tired of saying that l am not making s “thing” of the US = Stalin’s Russia.And we can vote freely. But big money corrupts the process . l can flap my gums forever in complaint and it effects no change no matter what l dream. But you better not. name a name or a problem that threatens a person’s or organization’s money by exposing deep corruption in government.
A few years ago the U.K. had an Arkansas man, Kelly Duda, testify at an inquiry over the tainted blood scandal that killed or infected hundreds of your citizens. The same as happened in Canada and in Japan. Hemophiliacs had various diseases notably HIV and Hep C among others. The young film maker has inadvertently come across a widespread practice in Arkansas prisons of letting prisoners “bleed” got a small cash payment while unnamed persons in the state made off with the big money. The prisoners drew blood from one another with no attempt to screen for disease. Thus the horror.
Mr. Duda traced the money trail to the door of power had things happen to him in filming that made him stop his investigation. The film is not distributed now . It is called “Factor 8: the Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal” you will find interviews with Duda. But he was scared off and YouTube doesn’t have any links to the documentary.
Neither is it easy to find the book written of the one serious attempt at prison reform in this State. 1968 was when the reformer, Tom Murton literally dug up the murdered remains of murdered inmates, he was told he must leave the state or be thrown in prison himself for grave robbing. He learned his life was threatened as well. He had 72 hours to clear out.
You can believe me or not, but the Arkansas prison system is a going business in this state as much because of the corruption that has never been rooted out from over 50 years ago and beyond. I have personal knowledge/experience of the extortion that reaches out from the prison organizations with complicit correctional officers. I am literally too terrified to say more in this forum because my own identity and those of family members are too exposed.
I am not the only one this happened to. You absolutely don’t know who to trust , who or how to complain.
Big Money. If you are poor you pay and you shut up. But you can complain about the government . You can vote. But don’t rock the boat . Not really.
I hope to rattle cages by coming at the problem with “ A Child’s History of Arkansas Prisons” hoping that even if there is only contempt for the vulnerable communities of addicts, ex-cons and their struggling families, maybe folks will care about the pathological impact of the incarceration rate on Arkansas children—And start to wonder why things only get worse in spite of the empty political rhetoric l have charted over the years— talk about moral posers.
well this is a thoroughly hijacked thread. And l suddenly feel really exposed.
goodnight
