--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our current prison state has the dual…" description: "\"Our current prison state has the dual effect of getting rid of a superfluous population of basically unskilled workers (with a close race-class correla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/noam-chomsky-42_class_our-current-prison-state-has-the-dual-ef_847365.jpg" --- # Our current prison state has the dual effect of getting… ![“Our current prison state has the dual effect of getting rid of a superfluous population of basically unskilled workers (with a close race-class correlation), and also demonizing them... The drug war is basically for this - It has nothing to do with drugs, but it has plenty to do with criminalizing…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/noam-chomsky-42_class_our-current-prison-state-has-the-dual-ef_847365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/noam-chomsky-42_class_our-current-prison-state-has-the-dual-ef_847365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/noam-chomsky-42_class_our-current-prison-state-has-the-dual-ef_847365.jpg) > “Our current prison state has the dual effect of getting rid of a superfluous population of basically unskilled workers (with a close race-class correlation), and also demonizing them... The drug war is basically for this - It has nothing to do with drugs, but it has plenty to do with criminalizing an unwanted population and scaring everybody else.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The prison system and drug war marginalize low‑skill workers, linking race and class, and serve to control an unwanted population. **In simple terms:** Prisons and drug policies target disadvantaged groups. Key Takeaway Question policies that criminalize poverty. Themes justice inequality politics systemic racism Mood critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - community outreach - education programs Key Concepts sociology criminal justice public policy Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to incarceration? - How can society address underlying economic disparities? A Different Perspective Complex issues also involve drug abuse and public safety concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-drugs/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [When liberal celebs stammer out a litany of shopworn bleats about the administration's attempt to turn America into a theocratic prison state, people can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/when-liberal-celebs-stammer-out-a-litany-of-shopworn-bleats-about-the/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [The prison is the state writ small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-prison-is-the-state-writ-small/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Today, aid to Colombia is given under the pretext of a drug war. 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