Discuss several issues associated with privatization of corrections.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The use of privatized operations in corrections carries some degree of controversy. This is largely because some people have a moralistic opposition to the idea that money might be made off the misery of others. In other words, some people may take exception to the idea that in order for one person to fulfill his or her sentence, the pockets of a private corporation must be lined. However, it is probably a more realistic view to understand that inmates must be housed somewhere when serving a stint of incarceration, and so long as their constitutionally protected rights are upheld, the specific ownership of the physical facility is irrelevant. In fact, if the private prison company can maintain security with less overhead to the taxpayers, then this is a good thing for everyone concerned. The simple reality is that, like it or not, private corrections is here to stay, and the use of private facilities is growing steadily each year. Private companies must ensure that they stay within budget and operate in an efficient and productive manner; to do otherwise results in a loss of revenue. For many business-minded administrators, this is superior to many state systems that are full of inherent waste, red tape, and civil service regulations that paralyze agencies from moving in an adaptive fashion. Private correctional systems, however, adhere to all of the same legal requirements as state institutions but are able to adapt to changes much more quickly and with little need for excessive staggering of new policies and procedures. For the most part, executive-level decision makers can generate a memo or set of protocols and disseminate it in a day, if they so desire; state systems do not have this flexibility.