On Sunday's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the host dedicated a segment to discussing the prison system in the United States, which he believes is "fundamentally broken." Oliver noted that so many people are incarcerated it has become something Sesame Street has to explain to kids. "Think about that, we now need adorable singing puppets to explain prison to children in the same way they explain the number seven and what the moon is," he said.
Oliver touched on everything from maggot-infested food being served to inmates to the way cost-cutting compromises health care; in one clip, a former prisoner from Arizona shared that after having a C-section in jail, doctors poured sugar into her incision and covered it with gauze, a remedy that was used in the early 1900s, pre-antibiotics. It's hard to take all of the statistics in, but luckily Oliver had some special fuzzy guests on hand to help us make sense of things. Watch the entire video below. --Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Cure for Trump amnesia might be his NY trial'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Tesla cuts prices in 'intensifying' EV warSpeed Read Electric vehicle giant has struggled in the face of weakening demand, competition from China and technical setbacks
-
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay: unwind at this picture-perfect resortThe Week Recommends The retreat that's ideal for recharging your batteries while experiencing life on an Indonesian island
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopicsSpeed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 GrammysSpeed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
