Prisons are a multi-billion dollar industry which relies on the incarceration of criminals. The United States is the number one country for the highest incarceration rate. Incarceration rates continue to rise, and with the increasing population and limited facilities to house inmates prisons are becoming more impacted. There are three types of prisons that house criminals, state prisons, federal prisons and private prisons. With prisons overcrowding, it becomes difficult to decently manage the facility. Governments now hire corporations to house prisoners in privately owned facilities. The state and federal government contracts a private third party to oversee and manage its inmates when prisons are overcrowded, this is called prison privatization.
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Prison privatization simplifies and drastically reduces the cost to house inmates for the government. The government also pays a consistent, contracted amount of money, which makes budget planning easier since private prisons charge the government per inmate. One inmate may cost more than another, but that is for the private prison to worry about, not the government since they are contracted. The cost is less because private prisons do not have to adhere to rules that government organizations do. A private prison can pay guards much less than a government prison can. Therefore, the government spends less money paying someone else to watch their prisoners. “Savings are fairly modest and result from reductions in staffing, fringe benefits, and other personnel-related costs.28 For example, research has shown that private prisons pay new officers less and provide employees with nearly 60 fewer preservice training hours than do public prisons.29 not surprisingly, correctional officer unions continue to oppose private …show more content…
Critics are concerned that many offenders who “max out” have spent long terms in prison for serious, violent offenses or have spent extended periods in administrative segregation. They are often hardened, embittered, and likely to return to crime.” 391 Most parole boards cite an inmate’s progress in self-improvement programs as one criterion for release. Inmates are given training in the attitudes needed to get and keep a job, communication skills, family roles, money management, and community and parole resources. Unqualified staff in private prisons such as alcohol counselors, delaying providing medications and mental health care services, and falsifying staff reports to reflect that the required number of personnel was on duty. 266 “many jurisdictions contract with private companies to furnish food and medical services, educational and vocational training, maintenance, industrial programs, and other services.” 264 Piece price system a labor system under which a contractor provided raw materials and agreed to purchase goods made by prison inmates at a set price.
Prison privatization simplifies and drastically reduces the cost to house inmates for the government. The government also pays a consistent, contracted amount of money, which makes budget planning easier since private prisons charge the government per inmate. One inmate may cost more than another, but that is for the private prison to worry about, not the government since they are contracted. The cost is less because private prisons do not have to adhere to rules that government organizations do. A private prison can pay guards much less than a government prison can. Therefore, the government spends less money paying someone else to watch their prisoners. “Savings are fairly modest and result from reductions in staffing, fringe benefits, and other personnel-related costs.28 For example, research has shown that private prisons pay new officers less and provide employees with nearly 60 fewer preservice training hours than do public prisons.29 not surprisingly, correctional officer unions continue to oppose private …show more content…
Critics are concerned that many offenders who “max out” have spent long terms in prison for serious, violent offenses or have spent extended periods in administrative segregation. They are often hardened, embittered, and likely to return to crime.” 391 Most parole boards cite an inmate’s progress in self-improvement programs as one criterion for release. Inmates are given training in the attitudes needed to get and keep a job, communication skills, family roles, money management, and community and parole resources. Unqualified staff in private prisons such as alcohol counselors, delaying providing medications and mental health care services, and falsifying staff reports to reflect that the required number of personnel was on duty. 266 “many jurisdictions contract with private companies to furnish food and medical services, educational and vocational training, maintenance, industrial programs, and other services.” 264 Piece price system a labor system under which a contractor provided raw materials and agreed to purchase goods made by prison inmates at a set price.