This group has swelled with such swiftness and cunning that most California taxpayers would not even recognize its name, much less realize how much of an impact it is having on their pocketbooks and on the state's economy. In 1980 there were 22,500 prisoners in California. In the past, California schools and universities were the envy of the world. The state's economy was strong, bolstered by huge numbers of defense jobs. By 1996 there were more than l40,000 prisoners in California.
Prison guards require only a high school education and a six week training course.
Most teaching jobs require at least an undergraduate degree in education. The demise of the Cold War meant the decline of defense jobs. In this way California's wealth now comes not only from perpetuating the misery of millions of people around the world, but also from the rigidly enforced misery of thousands of its own citizens. By one estimate, hiring for prisons has accounted for 45 percent of the growth in all California jobs in that ten year period. Novey is the son of a prison guard.