Ohio sells state prison to private contractor for $73 million

[my2sense]

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Ohio said on Thursday it had gone through with a controversial plan to privatize a portion of the state's prison system, the latest step in Republican Governor John Kasich's campaign to shrink government and close the state's budget shortfall.

Officials said the state had sold the Lake Erie Correctional Institution, an 11-year-old prison housing about 1,500 nonviolent prisoners, to the Corrections Corporation of America for $72.7 million. The state will now pay the Nashville-based company to run the facility.

The privatization of parts of Ohio's prison system was one of the deficit-closing provisions contained in the budget Kasich signed into law earlier in June.

In all, Ohio hoped to sell five prisons, and raise as much as $200 million, in the privatization process. But the bids on the other four facilities fell short of the state's hopes and they will remain in government hands for now.

Last week, ProgressOhio, a liberal policy group, sued to block the privatizations, claiming the sales were unconstitutional.

More: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/09/02/ohio-sells-state-prison-to-private-contractor-for-73-million/

[Kennah]

1. Parents, hold onto your kids

[hollowdweller]

2. Prison industrial complex

They will have to lobby for more laws to imprison people like the defense does for politicians that will start more wars,

[DontTreadOnMe]

3. One of the last signs of a fallen empire

selling of it assets to the highest bidders.

Who would BUY a prison, unless you knew it would be profitable. If it is profitable, why is the state selling it?

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. And what about the taxpayers who PAID to build the prison?

Privatized *anything* has no accountability, no rule book.

[lunasun]

8. Reverse of nationalization by a country!!!...

[Ohio Joe]

5. I feel so bad for Ohio

Shitty thing after shitty thing has been happening for a while now and I know a lot of good people there... It sucks but I am glad I was able to get out of there.

[sarcasmo]

6. I thought Michigan was bad, Ohio may be worse, just sad.

[upi402]

7. Cheap labor is not enough

Justifiable slavery saves shipping costs from China.

I want an opposition party that will stop this crap!