Essay Sample on Impact of Privatization of Federal Prisons

Published: 2021-07-27
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Most of the top private prison organizations have confessed that their profits lay on the high percentage of mass incarceration. While the rate of imprisonment increases, the industry grows at an accelerating rate. The prisons excessively hold more people than their capacity can accommodate and therefore leading to poor living conditions. There is also a huge connection between political influence and the incarceration system as the prison department supports most of the influential leaders. Contrary to the idea that private prisons are supposed to save on government costs, the prisons have continued to milk money from the government.

Analysis of each source

Breaking Bondage Private Prisons and Mass Incarceration

The author of the article Breaking Bondage Private Prisons and Mass Incarceration expounds more on how the private prisons have made the economic performance to decline while profiting the heads of such prisons. The article is divided into three major portions where the first part states that the increasing population in the private prisons and as a result, the institutions end up reaping more profits (Aviram 10). The second part of the article concentrates on how the private prisons have deteriorated the economy while the other part explains the strategies used by the same institutions to misuse the taxpayers money. The incarceration of individuals has demonstrated both an economic and moral failure particularly when an ever-increasing number of Americans are attempting to bring home the bacon and when state governments encounter massive financial catastrophes.

The article also reports that mass imprisonment offers a great opportunity for a particular interest group which is the private prison despite the fact that the industry continues to destroy the nation. The rate of incarceration has not only denied freedom and communication with family members but also extracted resources from the taxpayers and government as it continues to benefit itself (American Civil Liberties Union 12). While the general population hurts from mass imprisonment, the private prisons industry continues to benefit from the government. The heads of such organizations reap greatly and become rich. The article states that between 1990 and 2009, the number of detainees exponentially increased by 1600%.

How for-profit prisons have become the biggest lobby no one is talking about

A significant number of private prisons have developed into organizations that only aim at making profits and influencing legislation. Correctional institutions have funded some politicians with more than ten million dollars since the year 1989 and have consumed more than 25 million dollars on special interest groups. The private prisons have turned out to support political influence a link that warrants a great deal of attention when it comes to vying for public offices (Cohen 9). The private prisons have three major techniques of growing their profits through political support which are direct campaigns, developing relationships and networks as well as lobbying. For instance, the article states that CCA has in some times been seen to support policies that incarcerate more people like Arizonas highly controversial anti-illegal immigrant law. Such institutions have funded the politicians who support them.

The main objective of the rehabilitative mission has been changed profit making oriented institutions. In most cases, the contracts from private prisons demand from the government to maintain correctional institutions full. For instance, three private prisons in Arizona are being run at full capacity. However, there is a wrong prediction in the article that there will be a decline in the population of private imprisonment. The idea seems to be contradictive as the crime rate continues to increase.

Private Prisons: Heres why Sessions Memo Matters

According to the Attorney General Jeff Sessions on his memo, Former U.S presidents Obamas decision had weakened the capacity of the bureau of prisons to fulfill the future needs of the correctional framework. The memo implies that Session is worried about insufficient space in all the 122 prisons despite the fact that prevailing trends say the inverse. According to the article, since the year 2013, the number of federal prisons has been on the decline. The main objective behind the consideration of private prisons was to minimize overcrowding in prisons. Two main companies that run the prisons, Core Civic and The Geo Group greatly contribute to the success of the most popular politicians like President Trump (Schuppe 10). The profits of the companies significantly depend on the policies formulated by the federal criminal justice. According to Yates memo, issues relating to safety and insecurity are more prevalent in private prisons than in federal prisons.

A comparison of all three sources

In all the three articles, there is the similarity of the fact that the private prisons have diverted their main agenda which is to offer rehabilitative services. The prisons have in turn become profit-making businesses. The three articles have identified that there is a strong correlation between political influence and the correctional systems. Popular political leaders have been found to be supported by the prison system to in turn formulate policies that will enhance profit making in the private prisons.

However, there are major differences in the perspectives of the three articles. The first article, Breaking Bondage Private Prisons and Mass Incarceration seems to talk more about how incarceration has led to a disconnection between the imprisoned people and their family members. The article also explains that the deterioration of the economy has been the result of the private prisons consuming the taxpayers money and hence the institutions pose a danger to the state of the nations finances.

The second article, How for-profit prisons have become the biggest lobby no one is talking about,' seems more inclined on discussing the special interest groups that have for a long time been supported by the incarceration system. However, it has been noted in the article that no one has dared to be concerned with the issue.

The third article mainly focuses on the idea that the policies developed during the Obama administration will hinder the future capacity of the private prisons to satisfy the needs of the framework. The article also states that most of the policies are formulated to favor the success of the private prisons as a way of returning the favor by the politicians.

Conclusion

As a result, of the negative impact of privatization of federal prisons, the expansion of private prisons ought to be controlled and stopped. The reason is that the institutions have become profit-oriented and neglected their primary objective which is to offer rehabilitative services. The amount of government revenue directed to private prisons should be reduced and its accountability ought to be tracked. Moreover, there ought to be inspections in the private prisons to ensure that incidences of

Works Cited

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Banking on Bondage: Private Prisons and MassIncarceration. 2 Nov 2011. retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/banking-bondage-private-prisons-andmass-incarceration.

Aviram, Hadar. "Are Private Prisons to Blame for Mass Incarceration and Its Evils: Prison Conditions, Neoliberalism, and Public Choice." Fordham Urb. LJ 42 (2014): 411.

Cohen, Michael. How For-Profit Prisons Have Become the Biggest Lobby No One Is TalkingAbout. Washington Post, 28 Apr 2015. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/how-for-profit-prisonshave-become-the-biggest-lobby-no-one-is-talking-about/.

Schuppe, Jon. Private Prisons: Heres Why Sessions Memo Matters. 26 Feb 2017. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/private-prisons-here-s-why-sessions-memomatters-n725316.

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