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The Pros And Cons Of US Private Prisons

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Why are U.S. federal agencies and state and local governments turning to the private sector for correctional services? Because budget constraints and overcrowding have combined to create a problem, if not a crisis, in the nation’s prisons and jails. Governments are incarcerating more criminals, but they have recently become more uptight to the idea of spending sufficient tax dollars for new prisons to house the criminals. The prison system is turning into a living nightmare; overcrowding, lawsuits, and court orders are flooding in at unprecedented rates. With taxpayers demanding that criminals be put in prison and kept in longer, there seems to be no choice but to increase the capacity of the prison system. But with pressure to cut government …show more content…
Let’s say it costs a state $50 a day to house a prisoner. If a private firm can operate the prison for 10 percent lower cost, or even just at a small price, the cost of an inmate per day would obviously much cheaper than at the public prison. It is found that private prisons would be able to house the inmates because of the funds they receive on the side. To get back to my point, if cost savings free up dollars, the taxpayers get more of what they really want… fewer taxes and more money in their pockets. And hopefully, the bent media outlets can overcome producing a story to get better ratings and more money (as stated earlier in the paper) and portray this to the public, garnishing more support for the private prisons. If this were to happen, it would be a great feat for the private prisons, hopefully opening up big …show more content…
Add to that, the pressure we know that competition puts on private prisons is massive and is under watch almost always. Also, they are under the constant pressure of media outlets, looking to gain on any mix-up or screw-up in private prisons, as sad as that is to see. And, while a small amount does not want to see the private sector flourish and rather replace it with programs, they are not feasibility and actuality of that plan coming to life are slim to none. Even if programs were to be initiated, how would the come up with money? Another salient point was that public prisons have almost zero funds and since the tax payers are against dishing out more monies, the programs seem even further away from reality. It is through this overwhelming evidence and ginormous pressures that private prisons provide quality services and should be looked at greater as a very stable option in the worsening state of the public

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