Privatization of Prisons: The Good, Bad and Truth of it All
Privatization of prisons in U.S started in 1984 when the first private prison was opened. Since then discussions on private prisons is going on though private prisons in the country has grown rapidly and reached to about 250 in 2002 with a capacity of 105,000 inmates. Being ‘tough on crime’ movement has proved costlier, and increasing government concern on correctional costs. The correctional costs occupy the major portion of the government budget. The downfall in economy and slowdown in financial support is gradually forcing states to revaluate those allocations.
Privatization is an option to cut down the cost of the state government, along with the better facilities. Private companies in the past were mainly focused on medical, food and psychiatric services. Today complete privatization is being done which as result in leads to higher competition and better facilities at low financial cost and allows different influences in rehabilitation of the prisoners. Privatization does not depend on how better a company can do it depends the bid; the lowest bidder gets the contract. These enterprises are free to select the suppliers they are not restricted by the government to get the supplier approved which results in cost saving that can be utilized in other areas like the salaries to the employees.
The cost to maintain a prison includes housing a prisoner with food, medical facility and rehabilitation. Housing and feeding prisoners cost around $62.05 per day and $38.2 million per year to the tax payers each year that is one prisoner costs a tax payer around $100. And with the increase in prices of everything yearly, almost around 6.2% increase yearly to house a prisoner is unbelievable. To reduce the cost privatization plays an important role. Private prisons cost less to the government and the savings can be used in other sectors for growth the cost of prisons are reduced up to 10 to 15% yearly.(Moore and Rose 1)
Prison privatization got several criticisms from criminologists, human right activist, economists, community leaders, correctional officers. Privatization is blamed of corruption. Some claim private prisons do not save money they are more inclined to make a profit which results in minimization of essential services, in the prison as medical care, food, clothing and even staff and security at the cost of the public, the prisoners and the staff. By reducing cost of salary of the security, they can appoint more security, men resulting in more safety in the prison premises.
Quality of services provided to the inmates and the employees. There is a discretion in the wages of the inmates, in accordance of the jobs they perform some are paid higher and some lower which develops high morale in the inmates and even inculcates the competition among the private prisons to run more effective mental, physical or drug rehabilitation programs in which the inmates participate willingly, unlike the government run prisons.
Just as any other system privatization of the prisons has a darker side too. The state can cancel the contract if they are not satisfied with the services provided during the inspection time. This threat gets reduced when competition prevails, and everyone knows that many companies are there to provide the same service. It becomes more important to follow the policies and the procedures and hence the positive rather than negative is more expectable.
Bibliography
Moore, Adrian T. and Tom Rose. Private prisons quality corrections at a lower price 240 (1998): 42.print.
Private Prisons: Pros. 2005. Web. 4 mar. 2014.
Tabarrok, Alexander T. Private Prisons Have Public Benefits. The Independent Institute, 24 Oct.
2004. Web. 4 mar. 2014.
US department of justice. State Prison Expenditures, 2001. http://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/spe01.pdf, June 2004. Web.4
