Tell Apple to Remove Prison Empire Tycoon from App Store

Apple CEO Tim Cook published a statement on the company's website speaking out against racism and announcing donations to organizations that "challenge racial injustice and mass incarceration." That's a great first step; now Apple needs to reexamine the content it makes available to the world. Allowing the Prison Empire Tycoon app to remain available directly contradicts Mr. Cook's statement and his financial contribution to fighting injustice.

The private prison industry increases their profits by keeping inmate population counts high and expenses low, which means they benefit from crime and unjust policies that promote and prolong detention (which disproportionately impact people of color). While the Prison Empire Tycoon app incorporates rehabilitation programs and meeting inmate basic needs (both of which should be automatic and not require incentives), it also encourages the use of solitary confinement to manage problematic inmates - a practice that, in reality, causes lasting psychological damage and is akin to torture.

The United States of America needs to rethink the entire criminal justice system from arrest to imprisonment and demand that people be treated with dignity and respect every step of the way; profits should never be prioritized over basic needs and human rights. An app like Prison Empire Tycoon allows people to view America's tragic mass incarceration problem as a game and dehumanizes the lives of those living through injustice. If Apple truly wants to honor their mission to "create technology that empowers people to change the world for the better," they need to remove this app.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/private-prison-simulation-game-goes-viral-on-apple-app-store/269324/