The hard truth is that America is addicted to incarceration – just like slavery before it, writes Shaun King on Instagram. This entire town relies on the prison for jobs – not just at the prison, but the surrounding hotels and restaurants. And now that it’s closing, they are all pissed. What I need you all to understand is that this is WAY more common than for profit prisons. Yes, those should all be closed too, he says. But ALL prisons operate with a profit motive, and a business motive, and a jobs motive. All of them. And it’s why they fight us so hard when we confront mass incarceration, King continues.

Read the full story in the LA Times.