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For-Profit Prisons

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  • For-Profit Prisons

    I just recently learned that the US runs prisons which are entirely privately owned, and run for-profit, that is there's a net income that goes to pay dividends to investors and fat paychecks to the company owners.

    Is this a thing people in the US are just okay with?

  • #2
    Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
    I just recently learned that the US runs prisons which are entirely privately owned, and run for-profit, that is there's a net income that goes to pay dividends to investors and fat paychecks to the company owners.

    Is this a thing people in the US are just okay with?
    Im not. There is no way that will not result in significant abuses without draconian government oversite.

    Jim
    My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. James 2:1

    If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not  bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless James 1:26

    This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; James 1:19

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    • #3
      Originally posted by oxmixmudd View Post
      Im not. There is no way that will not result in significant abuses without draconian government oversite.

      Jim
      I honestly just don't get it. There's just something that feels extremely wrong about it to me. All prisons in Denmark are institutions made by the government.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
        I honestly just don't get it. There's just something that feels extremely wrong about it to me. All prisons in Denmark are institutions made by the government.
        It is not just a US thing, Australia, UK and New Zealand are much worse percentage wise...

        In 2013, countries currently using private prisons or in the process of implementing such plans included Brazil, Chile, Greece, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Thailand. However, at the time, the sector was still dominated by the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand

        In 2018, 18.4% of prisoners in Australia were held in private prisons. This was much higher than the rate for the United States which was 8.4%. [4]

        In 2018, 10% of prisoners in New Zealand were housed in private prisons

        18.46% of prisoners in England and Wales were housed in private prisons.
        15.3% of prisoners in Scotland were housed in private prisons.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_prison
        Last edited by seer; 07-14-2019, 03:21 PM.
        Atheism is the cult of death, the death of hope. The universe is doomed, you are doomed, the only thing that remains is to await your execution...

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbnueb2OI4o&t=3s

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
          I just recently learned that the US runs prisons which are entirely privately owned, and run for-profit, that is there's a net income that goes to pay dividends to investors and fat paychecks to the company owners.

          Is this a thing people in the US are just okay with?
          I'm not fond of it but I've been inside both. The private one I visited was a considerably better facility and also a fairly small one. I see a place for them but as a regulated augmentation of the public system.

          But the truth is, all prisons require active oversight.
          "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

          "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

          My Personal Blog

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
            I honestly just don't get it. There's just something that feels extremely wrong about it to me. All prisons in Denmark are institutions made by the government.
            I think one of the problems with private prisons is that the contracts are awarded by politicians. Just like securing any other government contract, there's a whole lot of room for shenanigans.

            On the other hand, several "government" prisons with which I have been associated had RIDICULOUS government oversight, like not allowing bars on windows, and specifying square foot of window per square foot of floor space formulas.

            One of the County Jails (which was not allowed to be called a jail) had to have color TVs in the Rec room, along with a slate pool table. In the first month of operation, there were 7 prison breaks involving 23 inmates. The prisoners pried up the slate from the pool table, smashed it through the plexiglass window of the rec room (no bars) and simply stepped out into the yard, and off into the woods.

            One day I stopped by that particular county "correctional facility", and asked to see my Sheriff's Administrator friend, Captain Smith. I asked a deputy where I might find Captain Smith, and he pointed over to the tree line at the back of the facility, and said, "last time I saw Mike, he was at that fence line yelling 'oh, come on, y'all come back, PLEASE?'"

            Truth is, government and private sector can both screw up incarceration pretty badly.

            ETA: That was the facility where somebody changed the "Deer Crossing" sign to "Prisoner Crossing".
            The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Cow Poke
              One of the County Jails (which was not allowed to be called a jail) had to have color TVs in the Rec room,
              Is that considered a luxury in the South. TV's capable of color that is?

              I'm sorry, its just the way this was put. Maybe you just put the word color in front of TV in general? But now I can't help but imagine a warden insisting on old B&W televisions because its cheaper.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
                Is that considered a luxury in the South. TV's capable of color that is?
                Laughing. It's just typical government language - it actually specified "color TVs", like somebody was gonna slip in a monochromatic one.

                But, then again, that was prior to the "LCD Flat Panel" craze.
                The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Cow Poke
                  Truth is, government and private sector can both screw up incarceration pretty badly.
                  Maybe its just my positive experience with danish prisons that bias me somewhat on that. I do know that government contracts can often be bungled, and end up costing them far more money than necessary. However there's just something that irks me with having a private company be responsible for prisoners. Where holding prisoners becomes a source of profit and income. There's something gross and disgusting about that. With people reduced to dollar bills, and the incentive structure seeming completely off.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
                    Maybe its just my positive experience with danish prisons that bias me somewhat on that. I do know that government contracts can often be bungled, and end up costing them far more money than necessary. However there's just something that irks me with having a private company be responsible for prisoners. Where holding prisoners becomes a source of profit and income. There's something gross and disgusting about that. With people reduced to dollar bills, and the incentive structure seeming completely off.
                    And now, for some actual sources of data.


                    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                      Laughing. It's just typical government language - it actually specified "color TVs", like somebody was gonna slip in a monochromatic one.

                      But, then again, that was prior to the "LCD Flat Panel" craze.
                      Try finding a B&W nowadays...
                      "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

                      "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

                      My Personal Blog

                      My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)

                      Quill Sword

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Teallaura View Post
                        Try finding a B&W nowadays...
                        That's what I thought, but I don't know... some places in the world still uses dialup, and I had this weird moment where I thought "Wait wouldn't that be more expensive". And I decided to do a reality check.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Teallaura View Post
                          Try finding a B&W nowadays...
                          All I gotta do is walk into my shop!
                          The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                            All I gotta do is walk into my shop!
                            I love old technology.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
                              I love old technology.
                              I love these conspiracy theory shows where somebody will be using ancient technology off the grid in a faraday cage or something --- even radios with vacuum tubes, which supposedly aren't susceptible to EMP.
                              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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