Private Prisons

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The idea of private prisons was introduced in 1969. Private prisons do not have to rely on the government in order to get sufficient goods and services. During the 1980s, incarceration rates skyrocketed. Because the United States needed more facilities to house offenders, and running a prison is very expensive, the privatization of prisons took place. Private prisons can supply goods and services without relying on the government, and they can make a profit in this industry in the process. They can operate more freely, and private prisons are usually constructed more quickly than public prisons. Private prisons can provide more jobs for people in the corrections industry. In 1980, the number of private police and guards in the private prison industry far exceeded the number of police and guards in the public prison industry. Although some people report being satisfied with the privatization of prisons, it still remains to be a controversial issue (Savas, 1987). Corrections Corporation of America and the GEO Group are two of the biggest names in the private prison industry. Corrections Corporation of America is responsible for 92,500 beds in 67 prisons, and the GEO Group is responsible for 61,000 beds in 56 correctional facilities, including facilities in the communities. In 2012, the GEO Group took in $1.48 billion in revenue from…show more content…
Corrections Corporation of America, one of the leading private prison industries, offered to pay $250 million for a 99 year lease of the whole Tennessee State prison system. Within Tennessee, there are 17 correctional facilities and approximately 7,600 prisoners. Although the Governor of Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, was not given the authority to approve this contract, it was recommended that the state have only a few private prisons to solve the overcrowding problem the state-run prisons face (Evans,
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