[Figlio di Moros]

Figlio: Sorry i must have been unclear: The more people they lock up, the more profits FOR THE COMPANY. Therefore, it is in their best interest to lock people up, they get paid just to keep people in jail. This has a drip down effect on the local police forces, as smaller communities depend somewhat on the private prisons, because there was previously no prisons there. This is also connected to the tightening up on the laws, now everyone can go to jail for nothing.

EDIT: I mentioned stock prices as this, affects people investing in the company, thus a prospering corporation, I thought this would be obvious. Profit is a short term gain.

Still no explanation on how the corporation manages to get people locked up when it has no ability to do so.

[MistyTiger]

The more people they lock up, the more profits FOR THE COMPANY. Therefore, it is in their best interest to lock people up, they get paid just to keep people in jail. This has a drip down effect on the local police forces, as smaller communities depend somewhat on the private prisons, because there was previously no prisons there. This is also connected to the tightening up on the laws, now everyone can go to jail for nothing.

A lockup quota? Corporations should not own jails, because Corporations are not lawmakers, like Figlio said.

Tightening up on the laws are not necessarily connected to private prisons. Laws could be tightened simply because the government feels like it or because people or interest groups pressure the system to tighten up.

[Zyx]

^ ^ ^
Search in Google, "Corrections Corporations of America lobby."

Here is an early return: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?ti ... of_America

Political contributions

Corrections Corporation of America gave $106,614 to federal candidates in the 2006 election through its political action committee - 15% to Democrats and 85% to Republicans. [3]


Lobbying

CCA spent $1,320,000 for lobbying in the first half of 2007. In-house lobbyists and four outside lobbying firms were used. [4]

[Gelmax]

Still no explanation on how the corporation manages to get people locked up when it has no ability to do so.

Yeah, I'm not sure why they've not mentioned it, and that's probably because they don't know and are just blindly following these beliefs without giving real thought to them, but the fact of the matter is that they're right. The problem is that prisons aren't just to keep people locked up as punishment - they're intended to rehabilitate prisoners whenever possible, in hopes of reforming them into good, productive members of society by the time they're released, providing mental health programs and counseling and more to help the prisoners work past their issues and become law-abiding citizens. Problem is, there's no incentive for a private prison to do that, as not only do those programs cost money, but a higher redictivism rate actually BENEFITS them. Basically, private prisons have a choice: they can pay mental health professionals to stick around and help reform the prisoners while providing educational and occupational resources to give them work skills to ensure that they won't commit any more crimes (and sent back to prison) after they're released...or they can keep the prisoners in cheap unfurnished cells while giving them the cheapest food they can get their hands on and letting the low-paid thug guards abuse the prisoners for kicks, and then when they finally get released they're even worse off than before so they commit more crimes and go back to prison and the prison company gets even more money while nickel-and-diming the slightest accomodations away from the prisoners to ensure that they'll never break the cycle of crime. Public prisons, on the other hand, don't have that profit motive, and thus can focus on helping benefit society as a whole (though rehabilitation programs tend to be the first thing on the chopping block when they realize they're out of money and the prison's full, which is a problem with the politicans and the laws).

[Figlio di Moros]

Gelmax, the problem with your statement is that you assume the government can't cancel it's contract... if the government notices the recidivism rate is higher with one company than another, they're perfectly free to utilize another company. It's also assuming the company runs the prison in the first place, and not merely pays for the use of the prisoners labor.

[Zyx]

Actually, private prisons are cheaper for governments. For some reason or another, government itself is a business, trying to minimize expenses.

[Figlio di Moros]

Actually, private prisons are cheaper for governments. For some reason or another, government itself is a business, trying to minimize expenses.

Kumatto, that's sort of the point...

[QatzelOk]

The cheapest thing for the government to provide would be no services whatsoever.

So Kumatto's dismay that "the government is a lemonade stand" is an appropriate one.

[Figlio di Moros]

The cheapest thing for the government to provide would be no services whatsoever.

So Kumatto's dismay that "the government is a lemonade stand" is an appropriate one.

Essentially, you just said the point of the government is to waste money; privatized prisons provide the same service while minimizing the cost, allowing for either lower taxes or more money to go elsewhere. Either way, to argue for a government not to be cost-effective is assinine. You do expect to get the most out of your dollar, don't you?

[Zerogouki]

The problem here is that private prisons push/bribe politicians to criminalize more things and impose longer sentences. Then underpants, then profit.

Prisons are one of the extremely few government services that I'd rather not see privatized.

[Figlio di Moros]

The problem here is that private prisons push/bribe politicians to criminalize more things and impose longer sentences. Then underpants, then profit.

Prisons are one of the extremely few government services that I'd rather not see privatized.

And those politicians should be removed from office; putting aside the fact most citizens don't have the basic knowledge necessary to enjoy the "right" to vote, they obviously don't have a very large problem with the crimes that are either placed on the books or which sentences are extended. If jay-walking and speeding suddenly meant years in a work camp, I'm sure we'd all agree that those politicians would be out in a minute.

While we're on the subject, however, what examples can you provide besides drugs/prostitution to support your theory?

[PBVBROOK]

Private prisons are a rediculous idea. The state has the responsibility for rehabilitation and punishment. Farming this out to a civilian company where cost is king is unacceptable.

[Figlio di Moros]

Private prisons are a rediculous idea. The state has the responsibility for rehabilitation and punishment. Farming this out to a civilian company where cost is king is unacceptable.

Alarmist... so, care to read this thread and explain why you feel this way, or just because you don't trust companies?

[Zerogouki]

While we're on the subject, however, what examples can you provide besides drugs/prostitution to support your theory?

http://www.dumblaws.com

[Figlio di Moros]

http://www.dumblaws.com

And that proves what? That there are a few assinine minor offenses on the books, and some archaic ones that haven't been enforced in a century that politicians haven't gotten around to wiping off? Come on, that just proves there's a few dumb laws, not that politicians are passing laws to round up innocent citizens, in order to make companies that work with prisons an extra dollar.

[Zerogouki]

Okay then, there's also:

porn
gambling
gun-control
minimum driving/smoking/drinking/whatever ages

But drug laws are really the only proof that you need.

[Figlio di Moros]

Okay then, there's also:

porn
gambling
gun-control
minimum driving/smoking/drinking/whatever ages

But drug laws are really the only proof that you need.

Where is porn illegal, where are people serving long periods of time for gambling, underage drinking, smoking, etc? Gun-control is a good example of lobbies, but considering there's a large lobby in and of itself, it's not much of an argument that prison companies are behind them.

All drug laws prove is that a lot of people are against drugs.

[Zerogouki]

Where is porn illegal

http://www.fcc.gov

They will also fine you for saying "fuck".

where are people serving long periods of time for gambling

Everywhere except Nevada and Indian reservations, I'd guess.

underage drinking, smoking, etc?

Juvenile Hall?

[Figlio di Moros]

http://www.fcc.gov

They will also fine you for saying "fuck".

where are people serving long periods of time for gambling

Everywhere except Nevada and Indian reservations, I'd guess.

underage drinking, smoking, etc?

Juvenile Hall?

Oh, for fucks sake... no-one's getting locked up for any of those things; a fine doesn't equal fodder to the "prison industrial complex", and juvie is for deliquents, who essentially have to do the same shit as adults going to prison. No-one gets locked up for smoking when they're sixteen.