SOLVED! #39 - Why You Should Care About Prisons in the Fight for a Better World (Throwback)

SOLVED! #39 - Why You Should Care About Prisons in the Fight for a Better World (Throwback)

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics September 6, 2026 Duration: 1:29:10

Re-Air Date: 8/5/26

Original Air Date: 4/24/26

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

  • Ch. 1 - Why victims of crime are underserved and actually prefer rehabilitative, root-case approaches to justice

  • Ch. 2 - How cashless bail reform has shrunk jail populations and fueled momentum to block new jail construction

  • Ch. 3 - The local fight over a proposed mega-prison in Arkansas making some conservatives question mass incarceration itself

  • Ch. 4 - A think tank report that proves the glaringly obvious facts about what reduces recidivism, and an article on the community "solutionaries" already preventing and disrupting violence without police

  • SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): Aramark's inhumane "service" in the prison system

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REFERENCES

The People Most Ignored by the Criminal-Justice System - The Atlantic

Jails Are Closing Across America. Why? - The Nation

Judge Orders Colorado to Stop Throwing Prisoners in Solitary for Refusing to Work - BOLTS Magazine

The Prison Next Door - The Nation

A better path forward for criminal justice: Changing prisons to help people change - A Report by the Brookings AEI Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform

Making Communities Safe, Without the Police - Boston Review

BACKSTAGE

EXTRAS:

BOOK: "We Do This Til We Free Us" by Mariame Kaba

(Buying through this link supports indie book stores and this show!)

BOOK: "The New Jim Crow" by Michele Alexander

(Buying through this link supports indie book stores and this show!)

DOCUMENTARY: "13th" by Ava DuVernay (Netflix)

DOCUMENTARY: "The Alabama Solution" (HBO)

TAKE ACTION:

Stop the prison industrial complex with Critical Resistance and the Abolitionist Law Center

Push for the passage of bills like the End of For-Profit Prisons Act of 2025

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Stop Trump's Wars

REI Co-Op Members: Vote to Boycott

Greeley Meatpacking Workers (UFCW Local 7R) Strike Fund

No Kings - What's Next?

One Million Rising Trainings

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Produced by:

Jay! Tomlinson

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Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

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For over fifteen years, Best of the Left-Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy has served as a vital, human-curated digest of voices from across the progressive spectrum. Instead of presenting a single opinion, each episode is built around a specific theme-from economic inequality to climate policy to cultural shifts-and weaves together insightful commentary from a diverse array of journalists, activists, and thinkers. This approach allows you to efficiently grasp the nuances of complex issues by hearing multiple expert angles in one sitting, all while discovering new commentators and sources you might not have encountered otherwise. The result is a richly layered analysis that algorithms simply cannot replicate, offering depth and context often missing from the daily news cycle. Since 2006, this award-winning podcast has cut through the noise, drawing from hundreds of independent and established sources to provide a coherent, thoughtful examination of the forces shaping our society and governments. Tuning in means joining a long-running conversation dedicated to understanding and advancing democratic principles, social justice, and a more equitable economy, all through the focused lens of leftist thought.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
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