re: America/LA Prison Population. Explain these numbers in as non-partisan way as possible

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but they're criminals

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Right. The line between being a felon and not is pretty thin. You can be a felon for writing a bad check. Also, once you’re a felon, you’re kind of fricked. You probably had to pay for a lawyer, so your savings is gone. You didn’t have a real job in prison so you can’t replenish it. You likely lost your house or whatever else you owned. Oh, and you can’t get a decent job because you’re felon and no one wants to hire a felon. For the record, I am WELL aware that there are just shite bags out there who deserve to be in prison. I just think that once you serve your sentence, that record should not destroy your ability to have a decent life. But that’s getting off topic.