Private Prisons Pros And Cons

Private prisons are not a new concept; they have been around since in the 1800’s with the first one being San Quentin located in California. In the 1980’s the prison populations were growing due to “tough on crime initiatives that led to an increase in harsher penalties and punishments for crime that were once seen as minimal” (Gordon & Price, 2012, p. 188). Cost also played a factor, by using private prisons it saved the taxpayers and state money that could be better used elsewhere like in fighting crime, health care or education. Private prisons were more of a business and they had the ability to use prison labor to make money to keep the prisons running. “Labor costs are controlled by reducing one or more of the following personnel cost

factors: (1) number of staff, (2) wages, or (3) fringe benefits” (Austin & Coventry, 2001, p. 16) and they normally hire/use those that are non-union so that they can keep their operating costs and benefits low.
There is a lot of debate about private prisons, such as using prisoners for profit, however those that are incarcerated have the ability to be productive in many ways, they are making furniture, clothing, and training service dogs and while they do these things for little or no wages, it does give them a way to give back.

Also for the staff of these private prisons it that it “fosters wage depression for correctional officers and employees an erosion of benefits and working conditions” (Gordon & Price, 2012 p. 192) and labor unions are fighting privation of prisons because of this. There are several pros and cons to privatization such as, “private prisons are more accountable to governments”(Gaes, 2010, p.28), “Without organized labor, private firms manage labor better” (Gaes, 2010 p.27) and one form of incentive for employees is that of stock options since it is a private sector company that owns and runs the prison, couple of the ‘cons’ against private prisons are: “Private firms may lobby for preferential treatment”(Gaes, 2010, p. 29) or “Private firms cut corners to make a profit resulting in inexperienced staff or poor quality goods and services” (Gaes, 2010, p.29) and the list goes on for both the pros and cons. In order for privatization to work it would come down to the training, hiring of personnel, and if the justice system and the private prisons are cohesive in working together for the greater good for both. Psalm 106:3 (KJV) “Blessed are they that keep

judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all time”.

References
Austin, James & Coventry, Garry. (2001). Emerging Issues on Privatized Prisons. Bureau of Justice Assistance, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/181249.pdf.
Gaes, Gerald. (2010). The Current Status of Prison Privatization Research on American Prisons. From the SelectedWorks of Gerald G Gaes January s, Florida State University, works.bepress.com/gerald_gaes/1/download/.