The Privatization of American Prisons Essay - 4419 Words

The Privatization of American Prisons Introduction Since 1984, the California Penal System has been forced to undergo drastic changes resulting from increased legislation aimed at increasing the severity of retribution to offenders leading to an exponentially increasing prison population. In the 132 years between 1852 and 1984, the state of California built twelve prisons, but has since supplemented the prison system with 21 new facilities. In 1977, the California Department of Corrections was responsible for 19,600 inmates. California’s inmate population now stands at 160,655, an increase of close to 800%. Across the nation, both local and federal prison systems have looked to private corporations to provide beds for†¦show more content†¦Shortly after British colonists created the first Virginian settlements in 1607, a shipment of convicted felons arrived, shipped by British entrepreneurs to be used as indentured labor, a condition of their pardon. A process often used by private entrepreneurs, this, in turn, lowered prison costs to the respective government. Throughout most of the eighteenth century, jails were maintained through a combination of fees and labor sales, and the state of Pennsylvania passed legislation calling for inmate labor to be used on all public projects. Prisoner outsourcing in the United States is originally attributed to New York’s Newgate Prison in 1802. The prison was able to contract with local manufactures, effectively offsetting rising prison costs. By 1825, prisons throughout the country, including Auburn, Baltimore, Charlestown, and Wethersfield, were realizing profits resulting from â€Å"prison contracted labor industries.† State legislators were quick to pass legislation aimed at compensating the rising costs attributed to keeping prisoners. In 1838, the state of New Jersey mandated all prisoners be kept working, and all earnings be used to cover the price of incarceration. California followed soon after with the Prison Act of 1851, which allowed prisoners to be turned over to contractors who would cloth, feed, and detain them in return for labor. By the 1850s, California’s San Quentin Prison, was the first prison to be built and maintainedShow MoreRelatedPrivatization of American Prisons1661 Words   |  7 Pagesrunning prisons out of the hands of state and federal authorities and contracting it out to private organizations. Along with the drift to privatization is a plethora of research pertaining to the subject taking many different approaches to analyzing the effectiveness. The majority of research focuses on one of three areas. The first questioning whether or not it is cost effective to make the switch. The second being the ethical problems that can and have risen from the privatization of prisons. TheRead More Privatization of American Prisons: a System for Profit Essay8583 Words   |  35 Pagesthis paper will be a compilation of research on the privatization of American prisons. This will include the reasons for, the historical aspects of, and the ethical and legal problems that it can and has caused. The res earch methods that will be used to develop this research paper will be done through both classical use of books and use of internet-based sources. This topic is important for analysis because the privatization of American prisons is a subject that raises many ethical and legal questionsRead MoreSheding the Light on the Privatization of Prisons from the Costs Point of View1102 Words   |  5 Pages In 2013 a paper from authors, Kish and Lipton discuss the title: Do private prisons really offer savings compared with their public counterparts? The purpose of this article is to shed light on the privatization as far as the cost savings. The authors point out the key points of cost saving are: The construction of a private prison is typically faster since voter approval is not required. The reduction of staff members is one way of reducing cost. The author states the problem being, the measurementRead MoreDefining Accreditation675 Words   |  3 PagesAccreditation is defined as a verification system in which correctional agencies must comply with under the American Correctional Association. Privatization brings about competition between prisons and jails in the community. As a result, prisons and jails are encouraged to make improvements as deemed necessary. In addition to affecting prisons and jails, accreditation and privatization also has an effect on the professional development of corrections officers. In recent years, the correctionalRead MorePrivate Prisons1166 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: PRISON PRIVATIZATION 1 An Assessment of Prison Privatization Sharon Baumann-Heller ORG 8575 Michael Mills August 12, 2012 PRISON PRIVATIZATION 2 Abstract Over-crowding in our federal, state, and local prisons, along with a depressed economy, has resulted in a trend toward privatization of these facilities. This paper examines the core issues surrounding private prisons in the areas of cost-effectiveness, recidivismRead MorePublic Facilities And Private Prisons1116 Words   |  5 Pages Prison is an institution designed to securely to house inmates who have been convicted of crimes. The United States holds the records for having the largest inmate population residing within the walls of the correctional system. The inflation in correctional spending and the largest prison population have impelled lawmakers and the government to look toward the privatization of prisons. Privatization of prisons is the use of private sector or corporation in financing, constructing, andRead MorePrivate Prisons Are Becoming A Cash Cow For A Lot Of Mega Corporations For Big Business1035 Words   |  5 PagesPrivate prisons are becoming a cash co w for a lot of Mega Corporations for big business. At one time in American penal system operated at dangerous criminal needed to be put under lock and key in order to protect society. Now and days many of our states are trying to save money so that’s why private prisons have been the answer to a lot of these states. We as a country are moving to that direction because it’s easier on states. With public prisons overcrowded the move for states to privatize prisonsRead MoreIs Prison Privatization Really a Long Term Fix? Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesPrison Privatization is a term used for which local, state and federal correction facilities hire companies from the private sector to run prisons and provide prison-related services. Some private companies are contracted only to provide things such as medical care, counseling, food services, and maintenance within publicly owned jails and prisons. Today, more and more private companies are being contracted to not only desig n and build, but also to operate new jails and prisons on both the stateRead MoreA Brief Note On Academic And Professional Communications1471 Words   |  6 PagesDecember 7, 2015 Abstract The idea of privatized corrections in America has been around since around the 1980’s; this was due largely in part because of the financial burdens faced by both federal and state run facilities, however, as the privatization of correctional facilities became more prevalent, so too did instances of corruption. As more federal and state run institutions became privatized there was a marked increase in numbers of those incarcerated as well as a push for more stringentRead MoreAmerican Incarceration : Where We Are, And What Can Be Done?1518 Words   |  7 PagesYasir Choudhury Dr. Joà £o Vargas UGS 303 Mass Incarceration 5 October 2015 American Incarceration: Where We Are, and What Can be Done From its early inception as a necessary aspect of modern society to its broken state that can be seen today, the American penal system has changed radically in recent history from an institution that performed the duty of safeguarding the public from those too dangerous to be left unsupervised to a business model concerned more with generating a profit for shareholders