Meta description: This article talks about the existence of private prisons in the US, how they came into being, their pros and cons, and their likely future.
Introduction
It may come as a shock to most of us, but apparently, there are prisons in the US that the government does not operate! In 2019, 92% of federal and state prisoners were held in government prisons, and the rest in private ones.
History
In the 1980s, the US Government’s “war on drugs” saw many arrests and incarcerations. When prisons started overflowing with prisoners, the Corrections Corporation of America emerged as a private prison company in 1983. Dun Hutto was the founder of this company. The concept of privatizing prisons was not new to America. In the early mid-1800s, some corporations used convicts as unpaid labor in factories and plantations. The CCA is now known as Core Civic and is the largest private prison operator in the US. It operates over 70 prisons that house more than 70,000 prisoners. The largest private prison is in Texas.
Benefits
The private prisons are helpful, as the number of incarcerated people remarkably increased in the 1980s and thereafter. It was becoming difficult for the government to accommodate many prisoners. To avoid overcrowding, they started releasing the less dangerous criminals. These convicts committed more crimes after their release, and many used to get arrested shortly after. The government decided to allow private penitentiaries so that everyone who deserved to be in prison would remain there. The private companies convinced the authorities that they had better facilities and modern technology, and could manage larger prisons with less money. This would also save public money, which meant a win-win situation.
Current Scenario
Under President Trump, the US had seen a greater number of incarcerations in private facilities. However, the new administration under President Biden is trying to reduce its dependence on private prison operators. The eventual goal is to stop the private prison program altogether. The reasons cited for this decision were: racial injustice in those prisons and operators’ sole focus on profits.
I believe that prisons should be run by the government. What are your thoughts? For more related topics, visit PlanetSpark.
FAQs
1. What are the cons of having private prisons?
The owners wish to earn maximum money and are not bothered about rehabilitating prisoners.
2. When did private prisons see a boom in prisoners?
Between 1990 and 2009, private prisons saw a remarkable increase in prisoners.
3. Do you think private prisons are bad?
Yes, I do. They often ignore the safety, health, hygiene, and rehabilitation of prisoners.
4. What leads us to believe that security is lax in private prisons?
Reports say that violence among prisoners is higher by approximately 65%, and attacks on guards by over 50% in private prisons.
5. Which states in the US have the most prisoners in private penitentiaries?
Texas, California, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin are the states with the maximum number of convicts held in private prisons.
