Private Prisons And Public Prisons - 815 Words

The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), which is essentially the Enron of the private prison industry, has long touted private prisons as an alternative to government-owned prisons. Indeed, CCA has set forth three reasons justifying the creation of private prisons for federal inmates: †¢ Cost Effectiveness. Private prisons are less expensive to operate and will save the federal government millions of dollars. †¢ Safety. Private prisons are effectively protect inmates’ safety. †¢ Humane Treatment. Private prisons are modern facilities that provide humane treatment to inmates. Studies have shown that private prisons achieve none of these goals, and the reason is simple: private prisons operate under a fundamentally different regulatory structure that alters the choices -- and motives – of its participants. Indeed, unlike their federal counterparts, private prisons operate in a market economy where maximizing profits is vital to sustainability and thus a driving factor in corporate decision-making. Under basic economic theory, when operational costs exceed current and future estimates, corporations must identify ways in which to reduce such costs and therefore increase profitability. This is precisely what happened in the private prison context. Corporations such as CCA often underestimate the cost of operating private prisons in a manner that would increase safety and treat inmates more humanely. As a result, operators of private prisons made the deliberate choiceShow MoreRelatedThe Between Private And Public Prisons942 Words   |  4 Pagesbe tween private and public prisons. While private prisons have been useful, I believe that it does not have an advantage over public prisons with regard to rehabilitation and reoffending rates of offenders. Private prisons were first implemented in order to combat the effects of overcrowding and the increasing cost of maintaining public prisons (Mennicken, 2013; Jones Newburn, 2005). While private prisons have been successful in that regard, there are various other concerns, ranging from prison andRead MoreThe Between Public And Private Prisons1824 Words   |  8 Pagesdefectiveness. Being governed by humans, there –nevertheless— exists an imbalance due to the natural imperfections of the mind. One particular subject matter is the deliberate breaking of moral standards surrounding the prison system. Specifically, the private prison sector. These private prison corporations indulge in uncommon for-profit business practices to strategically maximize their yields in undisclosed manners. An obvious lack of transparency. So, could their practices be so vile for the need ofRead MorePublic Facilities And Private Prisons1116 Words   |  5 Pages Prison is an institut ion designed to securely to house inmates who have been convicted of crimes. The United States holds the records for having the largest inmate population residing within the walls of the correctional system. The inflation in correctional spending and the largest prison population have impelled lawmakers and the government to look toward the privatization of prisons. Privatization of prisons is the use of private sector or corporation in financing, constructing, andRead MoreEssay about The Public-Private Prison Debate2326 Words   |  10 PagesCalifornia is suffering from a crisis in the prison system. Its facilities are operating at double capacity and grossly deficient medical care is the cause of at least one inmate death per week (Wood, 2008, para. 2). Because of this need for reform, the federal government is stepping in to direct the state prison’s operating procedure. Although the financial choices of each state should be free from federal control, the federal govern ment is still known to put pressure on states to make decisionsRead MoreThe Prison Industrial Complex Is The Economic Interrelation Between Private Prisons And Various Public1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe prison-industrial complex is the economic interrelation between private prisons and various public and private job sectors that have become dependent on the expansion of the private prison system. A partial list of these sectors includes construction, pharmaceuticals, and law enforcement, including probation and parole. The prison-industrial complex also runs a cheap inmate labor force for various corporations. Approximately 2,266,800 adults are currently imprisoned in America. In addition toRead MoreThe Use Of Private Prisons For Federal Inmates1604 Words   |  7 PagesPhase Out Use of Private Prisons for Federal Inmates. This was an article title created by Charlie Savage, a Pulitzer Prize winner and correspondent for the New York Times in Washington on August 18, 2016. Savage wrote how the Obama administration would begin to phase out the use of private run prisons to hold inmates. This was ultimately due to the research done on the quality of life for inmates, the safety of inmates and prison employees, and the security of private run prisons. In the articleRead MorePrivate Prisons : Are They The Criminal Justice Systems? Savior Or Destroyer?1615 Words   |  7 PagesPrivate Prisons: Are They the Criminal Justice Systems’ Savior or Destroyer? As of 2005, there are over 107 privately operated secure facilities contracting to hold adult criminal offenders in the United States (Seiter, p. 164) According to Richard P. Seiter (2011), â€Å"A private correctional facility is any correctional facility operated by a nongovernmental agency and usually in a for-profit manner that contracts with a governmental entity to provide security, housing, and programs for offenders†Read MorePrivatization Of A Capitalist Society1699 Words   |  7 PagesA criminal is easier to deal with when they’re found dead. A living criminal must be tried in court of their peers, provided legal representation, and then must have whatever prison time they receive - if any - paid for by the Government. Meanwhile a dead criminal just needs to be acknowledged then buried. When it comes to dealing with live criminals, a government finds itself in a position where it must provide for the safety and wellbeing of members of society that are often ignored, which canRead MoreIs Prison Privatization Really a Long Term Fix? Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesPrison Privatization is a term used for which local, state and federal correction facilities hire companies from the private sector to run prisons and provide prison-related services. Some private companies are contracted only to provide things such as medical care, counseling, food services, and maintenance within publicly owned jails and prisons. Today, more and more private companies are being contracted to not only design and build, but also to operate new jails and prisons on both the stateRead MorePrivatization Within The Criminal Justice System Essay1510 Words   |  7 Pagespermeates every level of the criminal justice system, from incarceration to probation. Many states have turned to private institutions in an attempt shed operating costs, while also increasing effectiveness throughout the criminal justice system. These acts can include anything from providing treatm ent programs to full blown management of the entire prison system. Overcrowding at prisons and the rising costs associated with them has led many states to turn to some form of privatization within the criminal