According to Critical Resistance South, a grassroots group, 13 Southern states rank in the top 20 in per capita prison population. They believe the answer to state deficits is cutting prison beds. Huh? My God, the prisoners have some rights. Cut their beds? Then what?

One of the reasons given is, “the South is more punitive than the rest of the country.” Well, yea. We think if you commit a crime you should go away for awhile. In California, the judge thinks, “Heck, the guy’s poor, illiterate and only shot the woman in the leg. Probation will straighten him out.”

They say the quality of the lawyers is less in the South. Hmm.

“He done it. State rests”, the DA says.

“Nope. The defense rests”, the plaintiff’s lawyer says.

The jury goes into the jury room to deliberate. Actually, they play Scissors, Rocks, and Paper until one person is left. That person decides the verdict.

“Wahl, I think he done it. I mean, he’s a colored boy, ain’t he?”.

“Hey, I’m colored, I mean, black. I resent that”.

“Why? Yall can’ help hows yall were borned”.

“You ugly, racist, honky, KKK-”.

“I ain’t ugly”.

We are starting to put women in jail at a much higher clip than the rest of the country. Well, we have a lot of catching up to do. It took us a long time to come around to equal rights. When it comes to prison time we intend to even up for past discrimination.

“Heck, I hate to arrest her, bein’ a woman an’ all”, the deputy says.

“ You ain’t a woman. Oh, you mean her? This is 2003, you boob. Let me do it”, his female partner tells him as he contemplates the word “boob”.

South Carolina is reported to be considering releasing up to 4,000 inmates. I live in South Carolina. The only way we will release 4,000 inmates is as shark bait. Imagine 4,000 more crooks on the streets. Imagine all the satisfied sharks. You decide.

Okay, here it is. The real reason we have more people in prison than the rest of the country. We - ready? We have more crooks! Heck, Miami has more crooks than the rest of the country. Throw in the Louisiana state government and, well, there you go.