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The central role of prisons in the U.S. economy
Jun 17, 2021

The central role of prisons in the U.S. economy

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In June, our documentary film selection for the "Econ Extra Credit" series is "The Prison in Twelve Landscapes." It takes the approach of "visual poetry" to look at the culture of incarceration in the U.S. from many angles — all of them personal, many of them economic. Also, the news out of the Federal Reserve yesterday is that interest rates, steady for now, will likely start rising sooner than policymakers thought.

Segments From this episode

The Federal Reserve has spoken, signaling interest rate hikes earlier than expected, but not until 2023

And before any changes to interest rates, before that, the Fed will start to slow down its bond buying. Marketplace’s Nancy Marshall-Genzer has more.

How America's economy is embroiled in its multibillion-dollar prison industry

Jun 17, 2021
"The Prison in Twelve Landscapes" director Brett Story on the economic consequences of mass incarceration.
“The Prison in Twelve Landscapes” features Nahshon Thomas, a formerly incarcerated man who teaches chess in Washington Square Park. Filmmaker Brett Story said she wanted to address how prison affects everyday life, like the employment prospects of people with criminal records.
Courtesy of Oh Ratface Films

Music from the episode

Smoke & Mirrors TOKiMONSTA

The team

Victoria Craig Host, BBC
Stephen Ryan Senior Producer, BBC
Jonathan Frewin Producer, BBC
Daniel Shin Producer
Jay Siebold Technical Director
Meredith Garretson Morbey Senior Producer
Alex Schroeder Producer
Erika Soderstrom Producer
Rose Conlon Producer
Brian Allison Technical Director