In Partnership With →

The Shocking Way That Some Prisons Are Kept Full

Let’s see: Privatize prisons so companies make profits on them, create a financial penalty for the state or city they’re located in if they don’t keep them full, and bribe members of Congress to keep the system humming … hmmm, can’t possibly see how this could go wrong!


Note: This was made a few years ago, so the data on dollars for lobbying politicians here is actually lower than today. The five top recipients for Corrections Corporation of America now total $24.5K instead of $20.5K, and $35.2K for GEO Group, up from $24.5K. So, yeah, they’re getting even more money into the hands of politicians in order to get MORE private prisons…

Culture

Historians explain why men in old-timey portraits always had one hand in their vest or coat

Nature

Beavers were brought to the desert to save a dying river. 6 years later, here are the results.

Nature

In 1879 a scientist buried bottles filled with seeds. Every 20 years, one is dug up and studied.

Culture

Gen Xers share 17 nostalgic dishes they ate growing up—and still make for dinner