private/for profit prisons
DESCRIPTION
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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
By Jill Schnall and Tim DiPaolo
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) has built prisons in US, Australia, UK and Canada and under contract in New Zealand and the Netherlands
History Cont.• 1998 Corrections Corporation of America charged
with maintaining unsafe conditions by allowing inmates needing maximum security transferred into a minimum security prison in Youngstown, Ohio from Washington, D.C. due to relaxed screening – fatal for 2 inmates
• 1999 2 CCA prisons in NM had stabbings and deaths
2002 TN Supreme Court decided in Memphis Publishing Company vs. Cherokee Children and Family Services that private facilities performing government services have to fulfill public reporting requirements
History Cont. 2005 Prison Legal News sued GEO group
for incompliance with FL laws on public records
2007 Friedmann v. CCA – PLN sued due to incompliance 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, Private Prison Information Act would require private companies to disclose information
History• Began to appear in early 1980s primarily in the
South and West• The Justice Assistance Act of 1984 allowed prisons
to contract out inmates to private entrepreneurs• 1985 first state-level private-prison contract was
signed in KY• 1990 Illinois expressly forbidding prison privatization
– government function• 1998 North Carolina ended contractual arrangement
with CCA for operation of 2 facilities CCA had built
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
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 at a lower cost
Freedom to set their own budget and design their own facilities
Provide healthcare, education, and rehab
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
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
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) Innovative, efficient, cost effective, forward-
thinking correctional solutions Helps Economy
Pays sales taxes and property taxesPays utility payments and construction costs. Creates jobs for an average of 200 skilled
tradespersons on new construction projectsEmploys hundreds of new professionalsRevitalizes existing local businesses and helps
establish new ones
CCA Cont. Helps Community
Community Relations CommitteesSupports 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
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”
AFSME Cont.
Supports H.R. 2305 – Public Safety ActEnd taxpayer-supported privatization
Corporations care more about profit than public safety and security
Fundamental government responsibility
Table 3. Number of State or Federal Prisoners in Private Facilities, 2000-2008
Number of Prisoners Year Total Federal State Percent of
All Prisoners2000 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 annualchange 2000-07 5.1% 10.5% 3.7% :Percent change2007-08 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.
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
Evidence/Statistics: Against Private Prisons Arizona
49% more assaults on staff members66% more inmate on inmate assaults53% turnover rate of employeesStarting wages 23.4% lowerHigher position wages 39.4% lower
Recent Developments July 3 2010 prisoners escape from AZ private
prison – untrained guards and faulty security system
2010 SB 1070 (Arizona Immigration Law) would put more inmates into private prisons in AZ
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 – less prisoners for CCA private prisons
Nov 2010 Walnut Grove, the Walnut Correctional Authority and GEO group vs. Dennis Earl Holmes
Green Party
Private prisons should be illegal Prisons treat people as their product Provide worse service than government
run facilities Profits come from understaffing
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
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
Additional Information
http://www.correctionscorp.com/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29142654
/
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/>.o "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>.
o "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>.
o 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>.
"Goddard Calls for Five Immediate Steps to Increase Prison Security." Terry Goddard for Governor - Arizona. 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. <http://www.terrygoddard.com/2010/8/9/goddard-calls-for-prison-security>.
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>.
"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>. 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>.