Louisiana renews private prison contracts, as federal government cuts them
Source: Nola
As the federal government was announcing it will phase out its use of private prisons , Louisiana was going in the opposite direction -- renewing its contracts with two private prison operators.
The state has renegotiated contracts over the past few weeks with privately run correctional facilities in Winn and Allen parishes. The Legislature's joint budget committee approved a new arrangement for the Allen Correctional Center on Aug. 18, a few hours after the federal government said it would be ramping down its use of private prisons significantly .
Under an arrangement approved by the committee, The GEO Group Inc. will continue to operate the Allen facility until June 30, 2020. The prison company, based in Florida, also runs private federal prisons the Obama administration announced last week it intends to shut down.
The federal government's move away from private prisons comes after a U.S. Department of Justice audit showed private facilities had more safety and security problems than their government-run counterparts.
Read more: http://www.nola.com/articles/19172786/louisiana_private_prisons.amp
Some things shouldn't be privatized. Especially with minimum occupancy guarantees.
rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)malthaussen
(17,184 posts)Every state has its own prison system, as every state has its own laws. Federal lawbreakers go to federal prisons, which are distinct from those of the states. Hence the old expression "You want to make a Federal case of it?" Federal jurisdiction applies only to violation of Federal statute or crimes which have an interstate breadth.
The federal administration can only regulate its own prison system, not that of any of the states.
-- Mal
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,444 posts)malthaussen
(17,184 posts)Ah, well, serves me right.
-- Mal
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)Calista241
(5,586 posts)Igel
(35,296 posts)The courts aren't bound to sentence people to uphold a state minimum occupancy contract.
But the state is bound to provide incarceration facilities for those convicted and sentenced. Look at California--it was put in the awkward position of releasing those convicted (in other words, telling judges and juries that their verdicts were pointless).
Have tough laws, you need prisons. States can build them or they can outsource them. Or they can just sentence people and then tell them they're free. That's nice when it's somebody from your team, but when it's somebody that hurt your team it gets awfully infuriating awfully fast.
NWCorona
(8,541 posts)It creates a self feeding loop when incarceration is moneterized. Especially when you factor in prison labor. More often then not. To qualify for "good time" you'll have to work. That incentive is too slippery for my taste.
I think this step by the Feds is a much needed step in the right direction.
Aristus
(66,310 posts)No, that can't be right...