100 Slaves 100 Enemies

This isn’t the first time this has happened. And it probably doesn’t help that there’s a history of California prison guards shooting inmates who get into fistfights.

With more than 150,000 inmates, the California prison system is one of the most crowded in the nation, with many of its facilities holding more than double the number of inmates they were designed for. A federal three-judge panel ruled last week that crowding and poor health care caused one avoidable inmate death each week and that the system was “impossible to manage.”

…

“There are proposals to eliminate all programs including reducing visiting days for inmates participating in programs,” Mr. Krisberg said. “But if you isolate these men from their families and cut down even the most basic educational and counseling programs, you’re going to create more idleness, and this is what happens.”

via Hundreds Hurt in California Prison Riot, New York Times 8/9/09

According to a New York Times article (“Another Hurdle for the Jobless“, NYT, 08/06/09), companies are now using credit checks to screen out applicants for jobs as mundane as data entry and secretarial/clerical positions. Common sense says, how else will can you attempt to get out of debt, unless you can find a job?

According to the article, some states have passed bills restricting employers to only perform credit checks if they directly pertain to the job. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill that came before him. Ironic, considering that his state is carrying such a huge debt load.

No human, and definitely no Human resources “professional”, have the right or acumen to judge the ability of a potential employee based on a credit check or other invasions into privacy. In my personal eaves-dropping experience I once overheard one of these “professionals” scoffing at the idea of hiring someone because “he was fired for trying to start a union!”

Without comment the article ends with statement that potential employees must “agree” to the credit check. Obviously, if one were to not “agree” to it, one would find that they are not considered for the position.

This is not something (like so many things) that we can allow companies to decide on their own. They are incapable of making humane decisions. This is something that must be regulated by the government.