Private prisons are a solution to one of the many problems our country faces. Government prisons on state and federal levels are overcrowded. The creation of private prisons benefits more than just the government. In this partnership, the government will pay a third party to imprison criminals. Some are at the state level and many at the federal level. The only problem is that the pros are not outweighing the cons.
Refusing Inmates
Those that run private prisons are not in it to better the country. They are businessmen. Making money is their primary concern. With this in mind, some inmates can be more expensive to secure. The owners get paid a flat amount per inmate. If they have to spend more on one person, then they are losing profit. In Ohio, this was a reason they were leaning away from private prisons. They were only taking the easy-to-manage inmates leaving the more difficult and high-security inmates to the traditional jails.
Cutting Corners
Federal inmates have been funneled into government prisons instead of private. They began pulling back in 2013 after reports started showing scary statistics. They compared fourteen private prisons to fourteen federal prisons. Private prisons had more problems than their counterparts. They experienced more lockdowns, inmate discipline, contraband, and sexual misconduct. These are a result of trying to make a profit, causing them to cut corners, like staffing.
Limited Healthcare
A report by ALCU in 2014 showed that there is understaffing in private prisons. It shows that private prisons have more conflicts that could lead to injuries. Could this be because there are fewer guards than other jails? Knowing this, the limited access to medical attention is an even more horrifying thought. One case said that an inmate with trouble breathing was told to places a sick call. Putting him on the wait list for the medical personnel to see him. Instead of being treated immediately. In this case, the lack of staff resulted in his death.
Today
The problems with private prisons have been there since their creation. They were brought in to fill a gap, and in result has caused more. It has been over a decade that evidence has been collected and shared to try a move away from private prisons. Elizabeth Warren is the most recent to speak out against their use. She would like to see them eliminated at the federal and state levels. She is using are the same evidence that has been revealed over and over again. Safety is not being prioritized over profit.
Moving Forward
Elizabeth Warren believes that no one should be making a profit off of putting people behind bars. She does not offer a solution to the problem. What would take the place of these private facilities? The government does not have enough prisons to house all those that are currently incarcerated. The U.S. senator of Massachusetts did pledge that he will put a stop to private prisons charging inmates for routine service. One step in the right direction.