figure 1

PRIVATE PRISONS:
What You Need to Know
By: Janelle Cottle So, if the government pays private prisons a private prison, was shut down
April 20, 2020 more money based on if they have more for instances of rape including
prisoners, it is in their favor that the younger and older inmates,
In America today, we arrest
incarceration rate goes up. Private prisons as well as forced sexual relations
more individuals than anywhere
make profit by taking the money they between the prison workers
else on the planet. Despite the
receive from the government and keeping and the inmates.
U.S. only making up about 4.4%
some of it for themselves, resulting in They also found security
the world’s population, we house
cheaper assets for the prison. guards refusing medical
22% of the world’s prisoners. In the
care for inmates. A federal
1980s, Ronald Reagan declared a war
judge said that the events
on drugs. The result of this was
“paint a horror as should be
stricter policies for sentencing and
unrealized anywhere
an overall increased rate of
in the civilized world.” So if it is
incarceration.
known that private
Because of this rapid growth of incoming
prisons are dangerous,
inmates, public prisons were
why do we still have them?
overwhelmed and reaching max capacity.
Corporations immediately saw this as an Large corporations of the
opportunity to for-profit private prison
make money and private prisons figure 2 industry spend millions and
were born. Private prisons are known for being less safe millions of dollars each year
as well as less effective. The funding for on lobbying and funding for
Private prisons are for-profit companies
cleaning, food, and health insurance are politicians. By supporting
that are paid by the government to house
drastically reduced in order for these legislative changes that will
inmates. Normally, the way they charge is
companies to make profit. They reject increase the rate at which
based off of how many beds a certain
prisoners with costly health individuals in America are
facility holds. Most private prison
conditions, as well as cut all programs incarcerated, they eventually
contracts require
that are supposed to lower rates of make more money off of
that even if some of their beds aren’t full,
recidivism. Recidivism is the likelihood the future inmates that
they still have to pay as if they were. If
of a criminal to reoffend once they will have to house.
there isn’t that requirement, they normally
leaving prison. And, by cutting employee With the private prison’s tight
require that their facilities stay at a certain
salaries, private prisons have also become ties with American politics, it
occupancy rate. This makes it so that the
known for lazy prison guards and workers. seems unlikely that private
government has to keep funneling
In 2016, Walnut Grove Correctional Facility, prisons will be discontinued.
prisoners into the system.

figure 1 https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-prop-47-law-misdemeanor-drug-theft-california-2014oct04-htmlstory.html
figure 2 https://impactalpha.com/activists-and-activist-investors-force-jp-morgan-chase-and-private-prisons-to-break-up/