Session 34 - Private Prisons: A History

In the American private prison system, private enterprises purchase prisons from the government and become responsible for their staffing and upkeep needs. All staffing needs, from the warden to the correctional officer to the maintenance staff are employees of the company; contractors. The state or federal government provides funding to cover the costs of keeping the inmates incarcerated, and the company treats this funding like revenue and endeavors to run the prison at a profit. 

We have thoughts and feelings about the prison industry - especially private prisons - but before we can really break this topic down, we need to lay a foundation in the history of this system.

 

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