When it comes to prison and the complexity of it, not a lot of people know about much about it. Before I started taking a criminal justice class, I didn’t expect to learn as much as I have. From how prisons are ran, to the food they eat and the designs of the prisons. What we have today is centuries of trial and error to make up the prison system we have today. Throughout the existence of the prison system, there has been many advancements and innovations. These have helped in many ways by making more space, more comfortable and safe for inmates. According to Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility, http://www.adpsr.org/home/prison_history In the 20th century there where two main waves of reform. The first in 1930, focused
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This led to architects building less intimidating prisons. The new buildings allowed room for sports, learning and socialization. In the 70’s, judges began working with the inmates and made new standards for prisons. The drug war sparked a huge epidemic that incarcerated many people for nonviolent crimes. Because of this, prisons because building in remote locations so they could house more inmates. Then in 1983, according to Mother Jones, A Brief History of America 's Private Prison Industry, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/history-of-americas-private-prison-industry-timeline three men Thomas Beasley, Doctor R. Crants, and T. Don Hutto start Corrections Corporation of America, which was the world 's first private prison company. Over the last two decades, the main controversy of prison growth been the increased role of private prison companies. States are in need of more beds and private companies are offering a hand. Secondly, a big argument that is brought up when comparing the two types of prisons is cost. Many believe that profit prisons are cost …show more content…
In the last 40 years there has been a huge spike in inmates. Approximately 200,000 in 1973, to over 2.2 million in 2009. This increase rate is very high. In fact the United States alone holds almost a quarter of the worlds prisoners and only makes up 5% of the world’s population according to PBS, New Report Slams “Unprecedented” Growth in US Prisons, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/new-report-slams-unprecedented-growth-in-us-prisons/. In 2010 at least 7 states were running prisons that were nearly 25% overcrowded. Alabama was overcrowded at a rate of 196% and Illinois was closely behind at 144% above maximum capacity. Many states and the government do not have the funds necessary to build new, or renovate old prisons to accommodate the increase of inmates. So private companies offer bids, or contracts to build their own facilities and run them. This allows the states and government to save money and also creates more jobs. According to Global Research, The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery, http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-prison-industry-in-the-united-states-big-business-or-a-new-form-of-slavery/8289 a study by the Progressive Labor Party states that private profit of prisoners creates an incentive to lock more people up. They also accuse the prison industry of being an imitation to “Nazi Germany” when it comes to forced labor and concentration camps. The private prison
This led to architects building less intimidating prisons. The new buildings allowed room for sports, learning and socialization. In the 70’s, judges began working with the inmates and made new standards for prisons. The drug war sparked a huge epidemic that incarcerated many people for nonviolent crimes. Because of this, prisons because building in remote locations so they could house more inmates. Then in 1983, according to Mother Jones, A Brief History of America 's Private Prison Industry, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/history-of-americas-private-prison-industry-timeline three men Thomas Beasley, Doctor R. Crants, and T. Don Hutto start Corrections Corporation of America, which was the world 's first private prison company. Over the last two decades, the main controversy of prison growth been the increased role of private prison companies. States are in need of more beds and private companies are offering a hand. Secondly, a big argument that is brought up when comparing the two types of prisons is cost. Many believe that profit prisons are cost …show more content…
In the last 40 years there has been a huge spike in inmates. Approximately 200,000 in 1973, to over 2.2 million in 2009. This increase rate is very high. In fact the United States alone holds almost a quarter of the worlds prisoners and only makes up 5% of the world’s population according to PBS, New Report Slams “Unprecedented” Growth in US Prisons, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/new-report-slams-unprecedented-growth-in-us-prisons/. In 2010 at least 7 states were running prisons that were nearly 25% overcrowded. Alabama was overcrowded at a rate of 196% and Illinois was closely behind at 144% above maximum capacity. Many states and the government do not have the funds necessary to build new, or renovate old prisons to accommodate the increase of inmates. So private companies offer bids, or contracts to build their own facilities and run them. This allows the states and government to save money and also creates more jobs. According to Global Research, The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery, http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-prison-industry-in-the-united-states-big-business-or-a-new-form-of-slavery/8289 a study by the Progressive Labor Party states that private profit of prisoners creates an incentive to lock more people up. They also accuse the prison industry of being an imitation to “Nazi Germany” when it comes to forced labor and concentration camps. The private prison