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Prison Reforn

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Submitted By dywoods12
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What factors contributed to the emergence of a market for private prisons in the U.S.? Discuss the relationship between politics, ideology, and private prisons. How can policy makers optimize the use of private prisons in the criminal justice system?
Private jails, prisons and other type of correctional centers have an elongated history in the United States. This goes as far back as 1852 when San Quentin, which is currently state owned, was the first for-profit prison in the in the United States. A more recent reappearance in private prisons came in the wake of wide-spread privatization that took place during the 1980s. Prior to this, only some facets of prison management had been privatized, but overall management had still been held by federal and state authorities. Currently there are over 150 private jails, prisons and detention centers in the U.S. In combination with an overall privatization push by President Reagan, prison populations escalated during the "war on drugs" and prison overcrowding and rising costs became a controversial political issue. Private business stepped in to offer a resolution which resulted in the era of privately run prisons. Privately run prisons pledged increased business-like efficiency, which would result in cost savings and an overall reduction in the amount the government would have to spend on the prison system while still providing the same service. It was also hypothesized that privately run prisons would be held more accountable, because they could be fined or fired, unlike conventional prisons. Conventional prisons are held to rigorous constitutional requirements that private owned prisons are not held to.
The relationship between privately owned prisons and the government is intensely based on money. In the beginning, the idea was these prisons would save the government money and would cutback the issue of

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