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Private/for profit prisons

By Jill Schnall and Tim DiPaolo. Private/for profit prisons. Introduction. States are contracting private prisons to take prisoners from public prisons mainly to relieve overcrowding States pay certain amount to firms for each prisoner in the private prison depending on security level

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Private/for profit prisons

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  1. By Jill Schnall and Tim DiPaolo Private/for profit prisons

  2. Introduction • States are contracting private prisons to take prisoners from public prisons mainly to relieve overcrowding • States pay certain amount to firms for each prisoner in the private prison depending on security level • Corrections Corporation of America vs. GEO group Inc. (Wackenhut Corrections)

  3. History • early 1980s • The Justice Assistance Act of 1984 • 1985 first state-level private-prison contract was signed in KY • 1990 Illinois expressly forbid prison privatization • 1998 NC ended contractual arrangement with CCA for operation of 2 facilities CCA had built

  4. History Cont. • 1998 Corrections Corporation of America charged • 1999 2 CCA prisons in NM had stabbings and deaths • 2002 TN Supreme Court in Memphis Publishing Company vs. Cherokee Children and Family Services

  5. History Cont. • 2005 Prison Legal News sued GEO group for non-compliance with FL laws on public records • 2007 Friedmann v. CCA – PLN sued due to non-compliance with 2002 court decision • CCA unwilling to comply with Freedom of Information Act • 2002-2008, 85 CCA employees were charged with crimes • 2007 Proposed H.R. 1889

  6. For Private Prisons Prevent overcrowding Save tax payer dollars Not a new idea Contractual and legal safeguards to ensure quality Contract can be terminated for mismanagement

  7. For Private Prisons Cont. • Financial incentives help to maintain order and security • Many studies show that some privately run prisons have a higher quality of service and level of performance • Freedom to set their own budget and design their own facilities • Provide healthcare, education, and rehab

  8. Against Private Prisons • Savings are a result of lower quality services (food, medical care, basic needs) • Lower levels of staff and training • Misplacement of inmates • Doing justice should be the government’s job • Profit motives cause operators to cut corners

  9. Against Private Prisons Cont. • Officials in private prisons report the behavior of prisoners to state authorities • States often do not oversee prisoner transfers in privatized prisons • Gaining power may cause private companies to have influence over corrections policy

  10. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) • Innovative, efficient, cost effective, forward-thinking correctional solutions • Helps Economy • Pays sales taxes and property taxes • Pays utility payments and construction costs. • Creates jobs for an average of 200 skilled tradespersons on new construction projects • Employs hundreds of new professionals • Revitalizes existing local businesses and helps establish new ones

  11. CCA Cont. • Helps Community • Community Relations Committees • Supports a variety of causes and organizations • Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, the American Red Cross • Variety of rehabilitation/education programs • addictions treatment, GED preparation/testing, post-secondary studies, life skills, employment training, recreational options & work opportunities

  12. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) • Prison run on taxpayers' expense • Gets lower quality of services • Understaffed, unqualified and poorly trained corrections personnel • Public workers are laid off • Corruption scandals • “preserve quality public services, ensure that public service employees are treated fairly and hold elected officials accountable to the public”

  13. AFSCME Cont. • Supports H.R. 2305 – Public Safety Act • End taxpayer-supported privatization • Corporations care more about profit than public safety and security • Fundamental government responsibility

  14. Table 3. Number of State or Federal Prisoners in Private Facilities, 2000-2008 Number of Prisoners Year Total Federal State Percent of All Prisoners 2000 87,369 15,524 71,845 6.3% 2001 91,828 19,251 72,577 5.8% 2002 93,912 20,274 73,638 6.5% 2003 95,707 21,865 73,842 6.5% 2004 98,628 24,768 73,860 6.6% 2005 107,940 27,046 80,894 7.1% 2006 113,697 27,726 85,971 7.2% 2007 123,942 31,310 92,632 7.8% 2008 128,524 33,162 95,362 8.0% Average annual change 2000-07 5.1% 10.5% 3.7% : Percent change 2007-08 3.7% 5.9% 2.9% : Source: Sabol, William J., Heather C. West, and Matthew Cooper, Prisoners in 2008, Appendix Table 18. Note: Figures are as of December 31 for each calendar year.

  15. Evidence/Statistics For Private Prisons • Prison population is expected to grow 13% in 2011 • States are expected to spend $27.5 billion on new inmates • CCA controls 87,000 beds at 65 institutions • 2009 – net income of CCA was $42.5 million

  16. Evidence/Statistics: Against Private Prisons • Arizona • 49% more assaults on staff members • 66% more inmate on inmate assaults • 53% turnover rate of employees • Starting wages 23.4% lower • Higher position wages 39.4% lower

  17. Recent Developments • July 3 2010 prisoners escape from AZ private prison • 2010 SB 1070 (Arizona Immigration Law) • Nov 2010 AZ state audit found private prisons cost taxpayers per inmate $55.89 per day while public prisons $48.13 a day • Prop. 19 in CA • Nov 2010 Walnut Grove, the Walnut Correctional Authority and GEO group vs. Dennis Earl Holmes • 2010 PA Judge pleads guilty

  18. Green Party • Private prisons should be illegal • Prisons treat people as their product • Provide worse service than government run facilities • Profits come from understaffing

  19. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s View on Private Prisons • In favor of private prisons • Public Prisons are too crowded • Government spends too much money on prisons • Cut costs on prisons

  20. Terry Goddard • 5-point plan to improve prison security • 1. immediate review of location and security risk posed by all violent prisoners in AZ • 2. immediate re-assignment of violent prisoners currently in minimum and medium security prisons • 3. immediate security review of all private prisons in state • 4. delay the assignment of future violent prisoners to private prisons until step 3 is complete • 5. Appoint a blue-ribbon commission to investigate facility where escape occurred and fine the company

  21. Additional Information • http://www.correctionscorp.com/ • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29142654/

  22. Works Cited • 2001, By. "Prisons, Privatization, And Public Values." Restructuring Local Government. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://government.cce.cornell.edu/doc/html/PrisonsPrivatization.htm>. • "About Us | Corrections Corporation of America." CCA. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.correctionscorp.com/about/>. • "AFSCME - AFSCME Corrections United: 10 Years of Federal Legislative Advocacy ." American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.afscme.org/workers/6590.cfm>. • "AFSCME - Corrections." American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.afscme.org/workers/67.cfm>. • Anderson, George M.. "Prisons for Profit." America Magazine . N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2010. <http://www.americamagazine. • Buduson, Sarah. "Audit: Private Prisons Cost Slightly More - Phoenix News Story - KPHO Phoenix." 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://www.kpho.com/news/25628062/detail.html>. • "CCA." CCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.correctionscorp.com/home/>. • Chittum, Ryan. "Captive Customers." Columbia Journalism Review. 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/captive_customers.php>. • Friedmann , Alex. Personal interview. 8 June 1926. • Gainsborough, Jenni. "The Truth About Private Prisons | | AlterNet." Home | AlterNet. 15 Dec. 2003. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://www.alternet.org/story/17392/>. • Geoffrey, Segal November. "Private Prisons Save Money, Boost Productivity." Reason Foundation. 17 Nov. 2003. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://reason.org/news/show/private-prisons-save-money-boo>.

  23. Goldmacher, Shane. "Private Prisons Operator Opens Wallet for Lawmakers - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 22 Apr. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/22/local/la-me-0423-prisons-donor-m>. • "II. SOCIAL JUSTICE." Green Party of the United States. 21 Sept. 2004. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. <http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/socjustice.html#1001998>. • Jackson. "Suit: Inmate Died Lacking Med Care Hattiesburg American." 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20101104/NEWS01/11040341>. • "Jobs We Do." AFSCME. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.afscme.org/workers/6590.cfm>. • Kirchhoff, Suzzane M. "Economic Impacts of Prison Growth." Congressional Research Service. 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41177.pdf>. • Powers, By Ashley. "Report Details Security Flaws at Arizona Private Prison - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 20 Aug. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/20/nation/la-na-prison-escape-20100820>.

  24. "Prison Privatization." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 1 Sept. 2000. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i0200620>. • "Private Prisons Do Not Save Money." AFSCME. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.afscme.org/publications/2550.cfm>. • "Privatization." AFSCME. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.afscme.org/issues/76.cfm>. • Rubinkam, Michael. "Former Pa. judge charged in juvenile justice scandal agrees to plead guilty | San Francisco Examiner ." San Francisco Examiner. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. <http://www.sfexaminer.com/nation/92435229.html>. • Seckler, Jim. "Mohave Daily News News Local Meeting on Private Prisons Canceled." Mohave Daily News Front. 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2010/11/04/news/local/doc4cd25af56f108815949909.txt>. • Smith, Phil. "Private Prisons: Profits of Crime." Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://mediafilter.org/mff/prison.html>. • Steele, Tom. "Talk of the Town: Private Prison Statistics Raise Alarm." The Daily Courier. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=73&ArticleID=76844&TM=73783.91>. • Weisenthal, Joe. "This Is The Company That's Desperate To Keep Marijuana Illegal In California." Business Insider. 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. <http://www.businessinsider.com/corrections-corp-of-america-prop-19-2010-10>.

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