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Private prisons suing states for millions if they don’t stay full

Oldgamer

Oldgamer

Diamond Member
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The prison-industrial complex is so out of control that private prisons have the sheer audacity to order states to keep beds full or face their wrath with stiff financial penalties, according to reports. Private prisons in some states have language in their contracts that state if they fall below a certain percentage of capacity that the states must pay the private prisons millions of dollars, lest they face a lawsuit for millions more.

And guess what? The private prisons, which are holding cash-starved states hostage, are getting away with it, says advocacy group, In the Public Interest.

In the Public Interest has reviewed more than 60 contracts between private prison companies and state and local governments across the country, and found language mentioning “quotas” for prisoners in nearly two-thirds of those contracts reviewed. Those quotas can range from a mandatory occupancy of, for example, 70 percent occupancy in California to up to 100 percent in some prisons in Arizona.

It is very interesting and telling that so few major national news organization are willing to report on the monstrous, ravenous and criminal system that is devouring hundreds of thousands of black and brown boys. Even those who do not subscribe to conspiracy theories have looked askance at this shocking report.

Welcome to the greatest manifestation of modern-day slavery, ladies and gentlemen.

One of those private prisons, The Corrections Corporation of America, made an offer last year to the governors of 48 states to operate their prisons on 20-year contracts, according to In the Public Interest.

What makes these deals so odious and unscrupulous? Take a look:

1) The offer included a demand that those prisons remain 90 percent full for the duration of the operating agreement. You know what that means: if there are not enough prisoners then there will be an unspoken push for police to arrest more people and to have the courts send more to prison for petty, frivolous and nonviolent crimes. There will also be a “nudge” for judges to hand down longer or maximum sentences to satisfy this “quota.”

2) Private prison companies have also backed measures such as “three-strike” laws to maintain high prison occupancy.

3) When the crime rate drops so low that the occupancy requirements can’t be met, taxpayers are left footing the bill for unused facilities.

The report found that 41 of 62 contracts reviewed contained occupancy requirements, with the highest occupancy rates found in Arizona, Oklahoma and Virginia.

In Colorado, Democratic Gov. John Hinklooper agreed to close down five state-run prisons and instead send inmates to CCA’s three corrections facilities. That cost taxpayers at least $2 million to maintain the unused facilities.

It is getting more difficult to rationalize the societal cost of keeping prisons full just to satisfy private investors who treat prisoners as commodity and cattle .

Link to News Article
 
Privatizing the justice system should have been forbidden in founding documents. No private cops, no private prisons, no private (criminal) lawyers.
 
Wow, that is ridiculous, it's almost something the Onion would come up with. Private prisons make no sense at all and how they are allowed is really a mystery. Just add it to the list of absurdity that America has running.
 
I have little use for or trust in the Center for the Public Interest, but in this I agree. Private corporations have no business running prisons, period.
 
Wait till they make speeding a jailable offense. Maybe then the fatties will get off their recliners and demand change.
 
Franz316 said:
Wow, that is ridiculous, it's almost something the Onion would come up with. Private prisons make no sense at all and how they are allowed is really a mystery. Just add it to the list of absurdity that America has running.
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Of course they made sense when the slicksters first offered them along with their statistics showing how much money the state will save,

The greedy politicians ran toward the immediate buck no different then corporations running to china for their immediate savings,

now the chickens are coming home to roost and the true costs are coming out.
 
We do need to keep more violent offenders (robbery, rape, murder, serious assaults) in prison longer. Private corporations with profit as a main goal is not the way to go for them though.
 
I'm a fairly libertarian guy, but I believe government has it's place (as well as a lean and well run welfare system) and the justice system is the most important, exclusively governmental function there is. Private businesses are for profit, they're supposed to be, the prison system is not.

I took a quick gander at cost per inmate in the US vs Denmark and you aren't even getting a good deal, sure you spend less on average but once you factor in the cost of living, your huge prison population and compare the conditions in prisons, it seems you aren't getting your money's worth.

Another problem with private prisons I came across is that they won't accept disabled or sick prisoners i.e. the expensive ones, in order to keep costs down.
 
Broheim said:
I'm a fairly libertarian guy, but I believe government has it's place (as well as a lean and well run welfare system) and the justice system is the most important, exclusively governmental function there is. Private businesses are for profit, they're supposed to be, the prison system is not.

I took a quick gander at cost per inmate in the US vs Denmark and you aren't even getting a good deal, sure you spend less on average but once you factor in the cost of living, your huge prison population and compare the conditions in prisons, it seems you aren't getting your money's worth.

Another problem with private prisons I came across is that they won't accept disabled or sick prisoners i.e. the expensive ones, in order to keep costs down.
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Speaking of cost per inmate... I found out the county I live in spends more on each prisoner every year keeping them up with healthcare, food, shelter, clothes, ect. that they spend almost $10,000 more a year than my annual salary.
 
Agent11 said:
Prisons should be ran by the state, not corporations.
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Agreed, but we would have to accept the flipside of that, lazy government workers who get guaranteed state pensions and benefits. Which as we all know, plays hell with the states' budgets. But in this case, I believe it's a worthwhile tradeoff.
 
Not sure why this is that shocking. This would be pretty standard for any engagement for any industry working with govt. If the govt wants you to keep staffed and operating at all times 100% regardless of the work orders coming in, then they are going to have to pay to make that happen.

I highly doubt cops are going out and arresting more people. The prison system is typically too full in many areas not to little.

Either way it's not all that surprising.
 
Triumph said:
Agreed, but we would have to accept the flipside of that, lazy government workers who get guaranteed state pensions and benefits. Which as we all know, plays hell with the states' budgets. But in this case, I believe it's a worthwhile tradeoff.
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?? It cost more to lock people up in a private prison than a Gov one. So yea those " lazy government workers who get guaranteed state pensions and benefits" are so killing the system. 🙄
 
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1prophet said:
Of course they made sense when the slicksters first offered them along with their statistics showing how much money the state will save,

The greedy politicians ran toward the immediate buck no different then corporations running to china for their immediate savings,

now the chickens are coming home to roost and the true costs are coming out.
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It's like the chicago Parking meter bullshit.

Chicago sold the rights of parking meter's to a private company for 99 years for a upfront payment of 1 billion.

the company then turned around and jacked up rates every year. they are expected to make the 1 billion back within 10 years.

Also they are billing chicago millions a year extra for handicap slots, snow days, etc.

Chicago looked at the 1 billion payment and not hte next 98 years of profit going away.
 
States agreed to contracts to meet budgeting demands setup by the taxpayer.

While it may not be fair; the states need to honor their commitments.

The private companies have spent $$ based on the contracts the state expected them to fulfill them; the state should also fulfill their side of the contract or buy out the contract.
 
These contracts need to be cancelled and they need to stop using these private prisons. It is a horrible idea that will only lead to many innocent people being jailed so the prisons can make more money.
 
The states should fix this mess by making the agreements right by paying up, but then never do this again. We want less crime and less prisoners, not more. Less prisoners should mean less burden on tax payers. Yay capitalism! Ima get mine and fuck everyone else!
 
moonbogg said:
The states should fix this mess by making the agreements right by paying up, but then never do this again. We want less crime and less prisoners, not more. Less prisoners should mean less burden on tax payers. Yay capitalism! Ima get mine and fuck everyone else!
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You clearly don't know what you're talking about and just spouting BS. Capitalism has done more good than socialism.
 
Incorruptible said:
These contracts need to be cancelled and they need to stop using these private prisons. It is a horrible idea that will only lead to many innocent people being jailed so the prisons can make more money.
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Are you willing to increase your taxes paid to the state to have the contracts bought out? And then keep those taxes at that level to then staff with state employees that will do the same level of work.
 
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