Private prisons performing worse than state-run jails

[dreamdancer 0]

thankyou usa for the freedom of information act...

Quote

Britain's private prisons are performing worse than those run by the state, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The findings, based on the overall performances of 132 prisons in England and Wales, appear to undermine claims by ministers that the greater use of private jails is raising standards for the accommodation of more than 83,000 prisoners held across both sectors.

Separate figures, also released under the right-to-know law, show that nearly twice as many prisoner complaints are upheld in private prisons as they are in state-run institutions.

The Government is committed to building five more private prisons to accommodate the growing prison population, which is predicted to rise to 96,000 by 2014. But the poor performance ratings among 40 per cent of private prisons in England and Wales throw into question the cost savings and other benefits of using outside businesses to tackle the prison crisis.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/private-prisons-performing-worse-than-staterun-jails-1722936.html

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[tbrown 26]

I have a real problem with anyone but the state taking away a person's liberty and keeping them confined as a prisoner. That's not to say that the states don't do a lousy job of it either - they often do. But they are at least theoretically accountable for how they operate.

Secondly, though I have nothing against a profit motive more most businesses, I am opposed to contracting out corrections to private for profit companies. Corrections is a necessary social function. It should not be run by a private outfit that's in the business of holding anyone captive - even convicted criminals - for profit.

For starters, a prison for profit industry would want to lobby for longer sentences and more imprisonable offenses, to increase their labor force. We already have a problem with too many people in prison who don't belong there, privatization would only want more.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[redlegphi 0]

Not to mention that when you turn prisoners over to corporations, those corporations can start to look at those prisoners as a cheap source of labor. This can quickly lead to prisoners becoming something a lot closer to slaves.