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)

History

• early 1980s• The Justice Assistance Act of 1984• 1985 first state-level private-prison contract

was signed in KY• 1990 Illinois expressly forbid prison

privatization• 1998 NC ended contractual arrangement

with CCA for operation of 2 facilities CCA had built

History Cont. 1998 Corrections Corporation of America

charged 1999 2 CCA prisons in NM had stabbings

and deaths 2002 TN Supreme Court in Memphis

Publishing Company vs. Cherokee Children and Family Services

History Cont. 2005 Prison Legal News sued GEO group

for non-compliance with FL laws on public records

2007 Friedmann v. CCA – PLN sued due to non-compliance with 2002 court decision

CCA unwilling to comply with Freedom of Information Act

2002-2008, 85 CCA employees were charged with crimes

2007 Proposed H.R. 1889

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 privately run

prisons have a higher quality of service and level of performance

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 taxesPays utility payments and construction costs. Creates jobs for an average of 200 skilled

tradespersons on new construction projectsEmploys hundreds of new professionalsRevitalizes existing local businesses and helps

establish new ones

CCA Cont. Helps Community

Community Relations CommitteesSupports 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. 2305 – Public Safety ActEnd 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, 2000-2008

Number of Prisoners Year Total Federal State Percent of

All Prisoners2000 87,369 15,524 71,845 6.3%2001 91,828 19,251 72,577 5.8%2002 93,912 20,274 73,638 6.5%2003 95,707 21,865 73,842 6.5%2004 98,628 24,768 73,860 6.6%2005 107,940 27,046 80,894 7.1%2006 113,697 27,726 85,971 7.2%2007 123,942 31,310 92,632 7.8%2008 128,524 33,162 95,362 8.0%Average annualchange 2000-07 5.1% 10.5% 3.7% :Percent change2007-08 3.7% 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 growing by more

than 400% each decade Federal prisons would need 35,000-

40,000 new beds each year Control 87,000 beds at 65 institutions 2009 – net income of $42.5 million

Evidence/Statistics: Against Private Prisons Arizona

49% more assaults on staff members66% more inmate on inmate assaults53% turnover rate of employeesStarting wages 23.4% lowerHigher position wages 39.4% lower

Evidence/Statistics Against Private Prisons GAO spent 1 year examining studies of

private and public prison costs

http://www.afscme.org/publications/2550.cfm

Recent Developments July 3 2010 prisoners escape from AZ private

prison 2010 SB 1070 (Arizona Immigration Law) 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 Nov 2010 Walnut Grove, the Walnut

Correctional Authority and GEO group vs. Dennis Earl Holmes

2010 PA Judge pleads guilty

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

Arizona Democrats

Oppose giving control of state prisons to private corporations

Unregulated Safety Issue

Additional Information

http://www.correctionscorp.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXOH

tlvO9jI

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