Private Prisons - 1166 Words

Running head: PRISON PRIVATIZATION 1 An Assessment of Prison Privatization Sharon Baumann-Heller ORG 8575 Michael Mills August 12, 2012 PRISON PRIVATIZATION 2 Abstract Over-crowding in our federal, state, and local prisons, along with a depressed economy, has resulted in a trend toward privatization of these facilities. This paper examines the core issues surrounding private prisons in the areas of cost-effectiveness, recidivism, and the special needs of specific groups of inmates, including the elderly and mentally challenged. It explores problems related to the prison industry in general and whether privatization is the solution to these problems.†¦show more content†¦The impact of budget cuts and a depressed economy continues to pose health care problems for jails and prisons as a whole. The high rate of disease and illness experienced in the prison population poses a threat not only to the prisoners, but to the staff and general public as well (Summary, 2007). Although society thinks of prisons and jails as self-contained, what is occurring inside finds its way to the outside. For instance, untreated staph infections, hepatitis C, and HIV can directly impact the family and friends of inmates, as well as neighborhoods and communities (Summary, 2007). Reid (2008) notes that the mentally challenged present a serious challenge to our prison systems. He reports that over 50 percent of all inmates have mental health problems, with a high percentage of both jail and prison inmates meeting the criteria for psychotic disorders. Society does not know how to PRISON PRIVATIZATION 5 appropriately respond to the maladaptive behaviors exhibited by the mentally challenged, so many of them are incarcerated rather than diverted to mental facilities. Studies have shown that it would cost less money to send this class of prisoner to a mental health facility than to pay for their incarceration and related extra costs. Some contend that the conditions under which mentally challenged prisoners are subject in prisons actually exacerbate mental illness. This includes such things as isolation and inadequate ventilationShow MoreRelatedPrivatization Of Prisons And Its Effects On Private Prisons2897 Words   |  12 PagesPrivatization of prisons is the confining of inmates by a third party that is contracted by a government agency and it refers to the takeover of present public facilities by private operators and the operation of new prisons by for-profit prison companies. Privatization is simply a contract that shifts public functions and re sponsibilities, in whole, from the public sector to the private sector. Private prisons can also be defined as a contract to provide other services to public prisons such as transportationRead MorePrivate Prisons1463 Words   |  6 PagesPrivatization of Prisons As state budgets throughout America become tighter because of rising costs, many are looking at private prisons as a way to reduce the cost in detaining inmates. Just like everything else in America there has to be a debate about it. There are those that are for the privatization of prisons and those that are against it. James A. Fagin introduced this topic in his text book CJ2013; he discussed the major selling point of private prisons, and the problems that states areRead MorePrivate Prisons2662 Words   |  11 PagesThe concept of the prison has existed for more than two thousand years. It probably goes back as far in time as practice of cannibalism, where victims had to wait for their turn in contributing to the chief course in the menu of their captors. Examples of prisons can even be found in the Old Testament when Joseph was incarcerated in Egypt. It was not until the 19th century that a clear shift occurred from corporal punishment to imprisonment. As societies prospered and the industrial revolution beganRead MoreThe Relationship Between Private Prison And Private Prisons Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesSynopsis The use of private prison has been a serious issue in the United States. The main issue is the amount of money that private prison companies are consuming. The private prisons are making millions of dollars from housing inmates. Between 1970 and 2005 the U.S. population has grown by 700 percent (Private prison, 2013). This massive increase in the U.S. prison population is far outpacing the population and crime rate. Due to this, America has the biggest prison rate than any other countryRead MorePros And Cons Of Private Prisons1625 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States has had a long and controversial history when it comes to the U.S prison system. Holding only approximately 5% of the global population; U.S prisoners account for almost 25% of the worlds prisoners, having even more than China; a nation with almost a billion more citizens than the U.S (PrisonStudies.org) Even when considering these alarming statistics, discussing the method of caring for, feeding, and rehabilitat ing prisoners in the U.S is often avoided as many United States citizensRead MorePrivate Prisons And Public Prisons815 Words   |  4 Pagesis 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 provideRead MorePrivate Prisons Are The Operation Of A Prison1365 Words   |  6 PagesThe need of private detainment facilities has immediately created all through numerous years. Private jails are the operation of a jail by a privately owned business under contract with a nearby, state, or potentially central government, frequently as a revenue driven business. With the gigantic development inside the prison masses coming to fruition because of the War on Drugs and extended usage of confinement, correctional facility clog and expanding costs ended up being logically dubious for neighborhoodRead MorePrivate Prisons Vs. Federal Prisons1175 Words   |  5 PagesPrivate prisons are supposedly more cost effective than state or federal prisons. Or that is what their representatives say. But regardless of whether they save money or not, are they truly beneficial for our communities? This article hopes to break down som e of the myths these private prison corporations have used to push their agenda and discuss how that is far from the case. By doing so, the reader can form his/her own conclusions on how pervasive and detrimental private prisons have become withinRead 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 MoreThe Cost Of Private Prisons Essay818 Words   |  4 Pagesfor the fact that private prisons typically only house healthy inmates. When cost estimates are adj usted to account for this, the results are surprising: Without adjusting for the increased medical costs imposed on state-run prisons, a 2010 Corrections Department study found that daily per inmate costs were cheaper in private prisons, at $57.97 as opposed to $60.66. However, when adjusting for medical costs, the results flipped with daily per inmate costs cheaper in state-run prisons at $48.42 compared