Prisons for Profit

In the name of debt reduction Rick Perry has come out for private for-profit prisons. After all his state has more prisoners than any other state in the union, 75,000.


Oh how we love to incarcerate in this country. In the last 15 years the number of inmates held in U.S. prisons has increased 49.6% Private prisons during the same period have increased 353.7%. According to the Corrections Corporation of American (CCA) and the GEO group, the 2 biggest private prison companies had combined revenues of $2.9 billion. They benefit and help fuel all this. Private prison groups such as these have strong lobbys, given large campaign contributions giving them great access to local, state, and federal policy makers. Of course, these profits come at the expense of tax payers.


Paul Ashton, Gaming the System, notes campaign donations: $835,514 to federal candidates and $6,092,331 to state-level candidates since 2000. They particularly seek out poor communities in the South and Southwest. 


Of course these private systems successfully support long terms for the convicted. And these folk want lower taxes while creating larger tax needs.


Obviously serious study needs to be done on this problem, but of course, the right will oppose such wasteful government spending.


For more information go to http://www.justicepolicy.org/news/2615