Privately run prisons are perversely incentivized to perform poorly. Instead of perpetuating the revolving door of incarceration (for profit), change the payment structure such that private prison providers only get paid for prisoners that don’t return to the prison system. Exempt first time offenders, allowing payment for these, but once someone is released from initial incarceration, no compensation is received if they return. Or at minimum offer financial incentive to the prison company for each year former prisoners remain alive and out of the prison system.
1 Like
One problem with this idea is the prison has no control over the sentence imposed by the court system, which in too many cases is inadequate for reform to happen. A different question is “why do we have privately run prisons to begin with? On reason California went to private prisons was the prison guard union, which became very powerful politically. What if public employee unions were forced to choose between being politically active & barred from collective bargaining on behalf of their members, or could collectively bargan, but were barred from political activity. With the politics removed from the equation return prisons to being state institutions.
1 Like
Prisons should not be making a profit. I totally agree! What that creates is the inmates being taken advantage of…poor quality food, commissary items that are priced WAY too high considering the quality of the items, not ENOUGH food, etc. It’s punishment enough just being in prison…to the inmates AND their families that are now struggling financially. It’s a slap in the face to those families to know that someone is making a profit off of them!!!