In: Economics
in 300 words Do you think that private prisons are a good idea or should all prisons be run by the government? Explain why.
Of the US 1.6 million prisoners, 8 per cent are held in private prisons. The remaining 92 percent spend their time in public prisons. In the mid-1800s, the first prison to be privatised was. However, as capitalism progressed, it wasn't until the 1980s. Due to the overpopulation of jails during the War on Drugs period, public prisons hired other agencies to confine and care for inmates. Because of private firms ' cost-effectiveness, prisons started contracting out more facilities, such as medical care, food service, prisoner housing, and vocational education. Over time, private companies saw an opportunity to expand and eventually took over entire jail operations
A private prison is any confining facility owned and operated by a third party and licensed by the local, state, and federal government. The Government pays a monthly rate per inmate in the private institution. Many private prisons are concentrated in the southern and western parts of the United States, and include prisoners at the state and federal levels.
Since private prisons operate according to their own set of standards, they can approve or deny any form of inmate. Nevertheless, they are known not to allow prisoners who are expensive to house. Medical conditions, mental health problems, and dietary requirements all contribute to an offender's expense.
When it comes to prison security, it was thought that privatizing prisons would make them safer. Evidence also shows that private prisons are less secure than public prisons. Private prisons are estimated to have 49 percent higher incidences of abuse and guard attacks than public prisons. 65 percent of prisoners on inmate assaults also occur more frequently in private prisons. The reason private prisons experience more violence is suspected to be because they do not need as much protection, based on the type of inmates held in private prisons.