As a father and candidate running for Congress in Georgia, I’m deeply disturbed by this fact and how it continues to shape my district and our country.
Here are some facts, figures and my thoughts about how the #PrisonIndustrialComplex is robbing our public education system, our children and our community.
An entire county school system in my district lost its high school accreditation. The same county, during the same time, had the highest incarceration rate in the entire United States of America. Make no doubt that there is correlation.
I'm running for Congress because I'm tired of this being ignored. Tired of organizations talking about banning private prisons, yet accepting their checks.
I'm tired of mass incarceration, underpayment our teachers, biased arrests/conviction rates and the failed war on drugs continuing to go unchecked. And because no child should ever have to eat a cold cheese sandwich while we are serving “offender cuisine” in our prisons.
We can and must do better and Congress must lead the way to reform.
Please take the opportunity to read my campaign platform and share.
-Michael Owens