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Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
Sat May 3, 2014, 10:42 PM May 2014

Apparently privatization has created an increase in incarcerations.

I've been watching Secret Prisons on the History Channel, and they were discussing HOW the privatization of prisons caused the population of incarcerated to increase. They gave one example of judges who were accepting $$$$ from the builder of a detention facility to make his business successful. I looked it up on Wiki, and here's what it said:

Two judges, President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan, were accused of accepting money from Robert Mericle, builder of two private, for-profit juvenile facilities, in return for contracting with the facilities and imposing harsh sentences on juveniles brought before their courts to increase the number of inmates in the detention centers.[1][2]
For example, Ciavarella sentenced children to extended stays in juvenile detention for offenses as minimal as mocking a principal on Myspace, trespassing in a vacant building, or shoplifting DVDs from Wal-mart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal

Apparently this is not unusual since privatization.

How come I feel like I'm always the last one to find out these things? Still, it affirms my belief that privatization of government SUCKS.

33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Apparently privatization has created an increase in incarcerations. (Original Post) Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 OP
When prisons are privatized, there is usually a minimum inmate occupancy percentage specified djean111 May 2014 #1
Yes, and that's something else I didn't know. How can this go on under our very noses? nt Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #19
When I told of privatized prisons burrowowl May 2014 #24
YES!!! Europeans just don't believe it, they don't get it. The U.S. is SO IMMORAL in every way Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #33
Probably a bigger percentage of the increase IDemo May 2014 #2
The program mentioned that too. It's so sick. nt Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #15
Private prisons need to keep the prisons full so as to make profits. neverforget May 2014 #3
Yes - sick and evil nt Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #16
This kind of thing is exactly why you have to write policy with the assumption that the... Shandris May 2014 #4
It is time to start. What upsets me is that every day I find out a new for-profit evil in this Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #14
I know, and that terrifies me on a level that very, very few things do. Shandris May 2014 #23
with the drug laws being changed, it should be interesting to see the prison population drop. hollysmom May 2014 #5
Probably not. JoeyT May 2014 #8
I'm not so sure. Look at this: Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #11
They aren't changing the laws, just the enforcement davidn3600 May 2014 #17
SCAM blkmusclmachine May 2014 #6
Big time. The only PLEASING THING is that some of these ahs are ending up in prisons themselves Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #22
Gee Maynar May 2014 #7
Incarceration sometimes means moondust May 2014 #9
Republicans believe that everything can be bought and sold and a profit made of it. By the way... Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #13
Attaching a profit motive to human imprisonment is evil. woo me with science May 2014 #10
I agree. Incredibly evil. nt Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #12
I really cant believe Go Vols May 2014 #18
I honestly didn't. I knew it was sick to privatize such a thing, but to artificially increase the Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #20
Rich MF's Go Vols May 2014 #21
they go to "correction centers" for PROFIT n/t aggiesal May 2014 #26
rich get richer ... Go Vols May 2014 #27
Gonna bump for reality Go Vols May 2014 #28
Yes it does. That needs to be publicized every chance we get, till it becomes a source of Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #30
Private prisons are also using their profit to lobby for longer sentences. ohnoyoudidnt May 2014 #25
That's another thing, yes - the corrections officers and prisoners are all in danger. nt Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #32
We watched that, too. Blue_In_AK May 2014 #29
You did??? The whole time I was horrified watching it. How can something like that happen in this Sarah Ibarruri May 2014 #31
 

djean111

(14,255 posts)
1. When prisons are privatized, there is usually a minimum inmate occupancy percentage specified
Sat May 3, 2014, 10:48 PM
May 2014

in the contract with the city or county or whatever. This ensures that the prisons will always make a profit. If occupancy falls below the percentage specified, the government has to pay anyway, instead of only paying an amount per prisoner. So - must keep those jail cells filled!
Isn't privatization awesome!
This is also why some are so against legalizing marijuana - all those lovely profitable prisoners, gone.

burrowowl

(17,604 posts)
24. When I told of privatized prisons
Sun May 4, 2014, 01:09 AM
May 2014

to my friends in Europe, they didn't believe me. I had to send articles.
This has been going on for decades
I recommend people subscribe to: The Nation and Mother Jones.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
33. YES!!! Europeans just don't believe it, they don't get it. The U.S. is SO IMMORAL in every way
Sun May 4, 2014, 11:16 AM
May 2014

It's horrific. The for-profit motive has removed all sense of morality from this nation. It's pathologically demented.

IDemo

(16,926 posts)
2. Probably a bigger percentage of the increase
Sat May 3, 2014, 10:52 PM
May 2014

is from private prison companies lobbying state legislatures for tougher laws and longer sentences, along with contracts that require a certain percentage of filled bed spaces.

 

Shandris

(3,447 posts)
4. This kind of thing is exactly why you have to write policy with the assumption that the...
Sat May 3, 2014, 11:02 PM
May 2014

...most evil, greedy, despotic individuals you can possibly imagine will be the ones doing their best to pervert it. Failure to do so is borderline criminal, or should be.

And the people making money off this? Maybe they should get a long introduction to said prison system. Have we started hitting people with sentences above a century yet? It's time to start. ( Obviously, , but hopefully you knew that already!)

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
14. It is time to start. What upsets me is that every day I find out a new for-profit evil in this
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:25 AM
May 2014

country. Capitalists are committing crimes in places and ways you and I don't even know yet.

 

Shandris

(3,447 posts)
23. I know, and that terrifies me on a level that very, very few things do.
Sun May 4, 2014, 01:00 AM
May 2014

The human tendency towards projecting our values onto other people means that, for me, I am always inclined to assume people mean honest first, and only when I have proof otherwise do I realize that that wasn't so. I've always had to watch out for gullible innocence and even being as vigilant as I know how to be, it -still- bites me a lot. Even knowing the depths that capitalists can and will sink to for money, the fact that you know there is actually -worse- is just...horrifying.

I mean really...how do you prepare yourself for something -worse- that selling people into captivity for a few measly dollars?!? And with the collusion of some people who you know are making really small dollar amounts to do it! And that's the thing, its not even ginormous sums that at least you can see how someone - not me, but someone - could find tempting! It's for a frickin' pittance!!

It just sends a shiver up my spine. But all we can do is keep fighting and make sure that this evil is not allowed to stand. Not in my name, not now, not ever.

JoeyT

(6,785 posts)
8. Probably not.
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:16 AM
May 2014

They'll just ramp up fear until they can get mandatory minimum laws for something else (JAYWALKERS: The lurking threat to your children!) to make up for it.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
11. I'm not so sure. Look at this:
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:21 AM
May 2014

We are living in boom times for the private prison industry. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the nation's largest owner of private prisons, has seen its revenue climb by more than 500 percent in the last two decades. And CCA wants to get much, much bigger: Last year, the company made an offer to 48 governors to buy and operate their state-funded prisons. But what made CCA's pitch to those governors so audacious and shocking was that it included a so-called occupancy requirement, a clause demanding the state keep those newly privatized prisons at least 90 percent full at all times regardless of whether crime was rising or falling.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/09/private-prisons-occupancy-quota-cca-crime

 

davidn3600

(6,342 posts)
17. They aren't changing the laws, just the enforcement
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:29 AM
May 2014

Congress won't budge on the drug laws. The only thing the government is CONSIDERING is the DOJ changing its prosecuting guidelines and Obama granting more clemency. But a new administration can just reverse this.

The laws have to change. But right now there is way too much corruption. Plus this is just the federal government...the states are even more corrupt in this.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
22. Big time. The only PLEASING THING is that some of these ahs are ending up in prisons themselves
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:39 AM
May 2014

Poetic justice.

moondust

(19,917 posts)
9. Incarceration sometimes means
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:20 AM
May 2014

disenfranchisement.

Is it any surprise that Republicans were responsible for creating the "War on Drugs"? Was it really a voter suppression program? Maybe somebody should ask Katherine Harris or Rick Scott.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
13. Republicans believe that everything can be bought and sold and a profit made of it. By the way...
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:24 AM
May 2014

your quote is very apropos to this discussion.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
10. Attaching a profit motive to human imprisonment is evil.
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:21 AM
May 2014

This is just one more reason why we can no longer support the lesser of two evils.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
20. I honestly didn't. I knew it was sick to privatize such a thing, but to artificially increase the
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:31 AM
May 2014

population of incarcerated people? That's so so so sick!!!

Go Vols

(5,902 posts)
21. Rich MF's
Sun May 4, 2014, 12:33 AM
May 2014

got to get richer by any means necessary.And so it goes ...

Edit: People used to go to "prison" as punishment,now they go to "correction centers" for ... ?

:/

Go Vols

(5,902 posts)
28. Gonna bump for reality
Sun May 4, 2014, 01:19 AM
May 2014

The United States of America imprisons more of its population per capita than any country on the planet.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
30. Yes it does. That needs to be publicized every chance we get, till it becomes a source of
Sun May 4, 2014, 11:10 AM
May 2014

humiliation for the whole country. Only when the whole country is embarrassed and feels inferior to other countries, will something be done.

ohnoyoudidnt

(1,858 posts)
25. Private prisons are also using their profit to lobby for longer sentences.
Sun May 4, 2014, 01:09 AM
May 2014

They do not give a damn about rehabilitation. Recidivism is in their best interest. They cut costs by lowering maintenance and staff costs., which endangers both corrections officers and the prisoners.

Blue_In_AK

(46,436 posts)
29. We watched that, too.
Sun May 4, 2014, 01:20 AM
May 2014

It's shocking that America, with 5% of the world's population, has 25% of the world's prisoners.

Sarah Ibarruri

(21,043 posts)
31. You did??? The whole time I was horrified watching it. How can something like that happen in this
Sun May 4, 2014, 11:12 AM
May 2014

country? I learned in school that this was "the greatest country in the world." That's what right wingers want, for us to be taught that in school. But is it? I say it isn't.

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