Should the United States allow private prisons to operate and cut corners in order to increase Income?

1. For-Profit Prisons
KENDALL WEST

2. Current Situation
• 2.2 million prisoners in the US today
• 25% of the worlds prisoners are in the USA
• 1,719 State prisons
• 102 Federal Prisons

3. How it all Works
• 130 Private Prisons ( 150,000 prisoners)
• Corrections Corporation of America and Geo Group
• 3.3 Billion in Revenue
• 50% of income is from government contracts
• Charging families for visits and phone calls

4. Political Influence
• Lobby to change laws
• California three strike policy
• 3 misdemeanors and 20 years
• Non-violent offenders
• Paid 6 million to politicians in the past few years

5. Cutting Corners
• Unclean meal facilities
• Underfed prisoners
• Inadequate Medical Care
• Lack of any in some cases
• Lack of qualified guards
• No control over prisoners
• 2-3 times as much violence among prisoners
• Death of guards

6. Justice Department Changes
• Moved to end major use of Federal private prisons
• August 2016
• Claim they are more expensive and less efficient
• Actually less, $63 vs $80 a day
• Companies pass this off as nothing
• Stocks continue to rise
• Only 13 of them are federal
• 22,000 prisoners
• Changes have yet to be made

7. Questions
• Is it ethical to profit for others suffering?
• When does a line need to be drawn when cutting corners?
• Are the US laws on what is punishable by prison to stringent?
• What is more important the cost or rights of prisoners?
• Should this be allowed even on the state level?

8. Sources
• HTTPS://WWW.BLOOMBERG.COM/VIEW/ARTICLES/2016 -08-26/AMERICA-S-
ROCKY-RELATIONSHIP-WITH-FOR-PROFIT-PRISONS
• HTTP://WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/BERNIE -SANDERS/WE-MUST-END-
FOR-PROFIT-PR_B_8180124.HTML?UTM_HP_REF=FOR-PROFIT-PRISONS
• HTTPS://WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM/NEWS/POST -
NATION/WP/2016/08/18/JUSTICE-DEPARTMENT-SAYS-IT-WILL-END-USE-OF-
PRIVATE-PRISONS/?UTM_TERM=.D1DBF4029412
• HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2016/08/19/US/US -TO-PHASE-OUT-USE-OF-
PRIVATE-PRISONS-FOR-FEDERAL-INMATES.HTML?_R=0
• HTTPS://WWW.PRISONPOLICY.ORG/REPORTS/PIE2016.HTML