By Jill Schnall and Tim DiPaolo

Introduction  States are contracting private prisons to take prisoners from public prisons mainly to relieve overcrowding  States pay certain amount to firms for each prisoner in the private prison depending on security level  Corrections Corporation of America vs. GEO group Inc. (Wackenhut Corrections) has built prisons in US, Australia, UK and Canada and under contract in New Zealand and the Netherlands

History Cont Corrections Corporation of America charged with maintaining unsafe conditions by allowing inmates needing maximum security transferred into a minimum security prison in Youngstown, Ohio from Washington, D.C. due to relaxed screening – fatal for 2 inmates CCA prisons in NM had stabbings and deaths  2002 TN Supreme Court decided in Memphis Publishing Company vs. Cherokee Children and Family Services that private facilities performing government services have to fulfill public reporting requirements

History Cont.  2005 Prison Legal News sued GEO group for incompliance with FL laws on public records  2007 Friedmann v. CCA – PLN sued due to incompliance with 2002 court decision  CCA unwilling to comply with Freedom of Information Act  , 85 CCA employees were charged with crimes  2007 Proposed H.R. 1889, Private Prison Information Act would require private companies to disclose information

History Began to appear in early 1980s primarily in the South and West The Justice Assistance Act of 1984 allowed prisons to contract out inmates to private entrepreneurs 1985 first state-level private-prison contract was signed in KY 1990 Illinois expressly forbidding prison privatization – government function 1998 North Carolina ended contractual arrangement with CCA for operation of 2 facilities CCA had built

For Private Prisons  Prevent overcrowding  Save tax payer dollars  Not a new idea  Contractual and legal safeguards to ensure quality  Contract can be terminated for mismanagement

For Private Prisons Cont.  Financial incentives help to maintain order and security  Many studies show that some privately run prisons have a higher quality of service at a lower cost  Freedom to set their own budget and design their own facilities  Provide healthcare, education, and rehab

Against Private Prisons  Savings are a result of lower quality services (food, medical care, basic needs)  Lower levels of staff and training  Misplacement of inmates  Doing justice should be the government’s job  Profit motives cause operators to cut corners

Against Private Prisons Cont.  Officials in private prisons report the behavior of prisoners to state authorities  States often do not oversee prisoner transfers in privatized prisons  Gaining power may cause private companies to have influence over corrections policy

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA)  Innovative, efficient, cost effective, forward- thinking correctional solutions  Helps Economy Pays sales taxes and property taxes Pays utility payments and construction costs. Creates jobs for an average of 200 skilled tradespersons on new construction projects Employs hundreds of new professionals Revitalizes existing local businesses and helps establish new ones

CCA Cont.  Helps Community Community Relations Committees Supports a variety of causes and organizations ○ Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, the American Red Cross  Variety of rehabilitation/education programs addictions treatment, GED preparation/testing, post-secondary studies, life skills, employment training, recreational options & work opportunities

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)  Prison run on taxpayers' expense  Gets lower quality of services Understaffed, unqualified and poorly trained corrections personnel  Public workers are laid off  Corruption scandals  “preserve quality public services, ensure that public service employees are treated fairly and hold elected officials accountable to the public”

AFSME Cont.  Supports H.R – Public Safety Act End taxpayer-supported privatization  Corporations care more about profit than public safety and security  Fundamental government responsibility

Table 3. Number of State or Federal Prisoners in Private Facilities, Number of Prisoners Year Total Federal State Percent of All Prisoners ,369 15,524 71, % ,828 19,251 72,5775.8% ,912 20,274 73, % ,707 21,865 73, % ,628 24,768 73, % ,940 27,046 80, % ,697 27,726 85, % ,942 31,310 92, % ,524 33,162 95, % Average annual change % 10.5% 3.7% : Percent change % 5.9% 2.9% : Source: Sabol, William J., Heather C. West, and Matthew Cooper, Prisoners in 2008, Appendix Table 18. Note: Figures are as of December 31 for each calendar year.

Evidence/Statistics For Private Prisons  Prison population is expected to grow 13% in 2011  States are expected to spend $27.5 billion on new inmates  CCA controls 87,000 beds at 65 institutions  2009 – net income of CCA was $42.5 million

Evidence/Statistics: Against Private Prisons  Arizona 49% more assaults on staff members 66% more inmate on inmate assaults 53% turnover rate of employees Starting wages 23.4% lower Higher position wages 39.4% lower

Recent Developments  July prisoners escape from AZ private prison – untrained guards and faulty security system  2010 SB 1070 (Arizona Immigration Law) would put more inmates into private prisons in AZ  Nov 2010 AZ state audit found private prisons cost taxpayers per inmate $55.89 per day while public prisons $48.13 a day  Prop. 19 in CA – less prisoners for CCA private prisons  Nov 2010 Walnut Grove, the Walnut Correctional Authority and GEO group vs. Dennis Earl Holmes

Green Party  Private prisons should be illegal  Prisons treat people as their product  Provide worse service than government run facilities  Profits come from understaffing

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s View on Private Prisons  In favor of private prisons  Public Prisons are too crowded  Government spends too much money on prisons  Cut costs on prisons

Terry Goddard  5-point plan to improve prison security 1. immediate review of location and security risk posed by all violent prisoners in AZ 2. immediate re-assignment of violent prisoners currently in minimum and medium security prisons 3. immediate security review of all private prisons in state 4. delay the assignment of future violent prisoners to private prisons until step 3 is complete 5. Appoint a blue-ribbon commission to investigate facility where escape occurred and fine the company

Additional Information   / /

Works Cited  2001, By. "Prisons, Privatization, And Public Values." Restructuring Local Government. Web. 03 Nov  "About Us | Corrections Corporation of America." CCA. Web. 03 Nov o "AFSCME - AFSCME Corrections United: 10 Years of Federal Legislative Advocacy." American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov o "AFSCME - Corrections." American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov o Anderson, George M.. "Prisons for Profit." America Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Nov <  Buduson, Sarah. "Audit: Private Prisons Cost Slightly More - Phoenix News Story - KPHO Phoenix." 4 Nov Web. 04 Nov  "CCA." CCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov  Chittum, Ryan. "Captive Customers." Columbia Journalism Review. 2 Nov Web. 4 Nov  Friedmann, Alex. Personal interview. 8 June  Gainsborough, Jenni. "The Truth About Private Prisons | | AlterNet." Home | AlterNet. 15 Dec Web. 04 Nov  Geoffrey, Segal November. "Private Prisons Save Money, Boost Productivity." Reason Foundation. 17 Nov Web. 04 Nov

 "Goddard Calls for Five Immediate Steps to Increase Prison Security." Terry Goddard for Governor - Arizona. 9 Aug Web. 07 Nov  Goldmacher, Shane. "Private Prisons Operator Opens Wallet for Lawmakers - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 22 Apr Web. 04 Nov  "II. SOCIAL JUSTICE." Green Party of the United States. 21 Sept Web. 05 Nov  Jackson. "Suit: Inmate Died Lacking Med Care Hattiesburg American." 4 Nov Web. 04 Nov  "Jobs We Do." AFSCME. Web. 4 Nov  Kirchhoff, Suzzane M. "Economic Impacts of Prison Growth." Congressional Research Service. 13 Apr Web. 4 Nov  Powers, By Ashley. "Report Details Security Flaws at Arizona Private Prison - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 20 Aug Web. 04 Nov

 "Prison Privatization." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 1 Sept Web. 20 Sept  "Private Prisons Do Not Save Money." AFSCME. Web. 4 Nov  "Privatization." AFSCME. Web. 4 Nov  Seckler, Jim. "Mohave Daily News News Local Meeting on Private Prisons Canceled." Mohave Daily News Front. 4 Nov Web. 04 Nov  Smith, Phil. "Private Prisons: Profits of Crime." Web. 20 Oct  Steele, Tom. "Talk of the Town: Private Prison Statistics Raise Alarm." The Daily Courier. 19 Jan Web. 4 Nov  Weisenthal, Joe. "This Is The Company That's Desperate To Keep Marijuana Illegal In California." Business Insider. 1 Nov Web. 04 Nov