AMERICAN PENAL SYSTEM

Privatization of the American penal system

Abstract

Prison privatization emerged to utilize the cost effectiveness of the management system associate with a privately owned business, as opposed to a publicly owned entity, keeping in mind that the highest documented rate of incarceration in the world is in the US, having an average of approximately 743 adults incarcerated from a population of 100,000. The war on drugs resulted in excessive inmates, which increased use of incarceration, significantly increasing costs, making it a serious concern for the states. Considering the situation of the prisons, an opportunity was identified by businesses, from the contracting of services, to the eventual over all management. Keeping the argument of the private owned prisons in mind, who insist that the prisons will bring cost effectiveness, and provide better management in comparison to federal prisons, it is obvious through research that this is not the case. In light of the event of Arizona prison break in which three murders escaped because of wrong classification as low danger, ended up ending more innocent lives, it is not advisable to allow the privatization of such precarious entities.

Table of contents

Introduction1

Incarceration in the United States1

Types of incarceration facilities2

Prison2

Private prisons in the United States2

Development of private prisons in the United States3

Private prisons in the United States today3

Cost/Benefit analysis3

Criticisms4

Argument in favor of private prisons4

Conclusion5

References6

Privatization of the American penal system

Introduction

The topic of incarceration can be a very difficult one with it concerns privatization. To provide the best potential security to the people, while offering the best correctional opportunities to the inmates, all prison installations are managed and owned by the state. The concept on prison privatization emerged to utilize the cost effectiveness of the management system associate with a privately owned business, as opposed to a publicly owned entity. The topic becomes sensitive because it is a possibility that the security measures in the privately owned and run prisons may be compromised to reduce cost, resulting in violence or escapes. This possibility, even though low, cannot be tolerable by any citizen, who may suffer by this lack of security.

Incarceration in the United States

The major for of corrective action or punishment for a crime and other offenses in the US is incarceration. The highest documented rate of incarceration in the world is in the US, having an average of approximately 743 adults incarcerated from a population of 100,000. In 2009, 2,292,133 adults were incarcerated in the US according to the “U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics”, making for 1% of the country's population. There were over 7, 225, 8700 adults under corrective supervision, of which 4,933,667 were either on parole or probation (Liptak, 2008).

Types of incarceration facilities

Offenders in state or federal prisons are those who have committed felony offenses. Offenders who have committed less serious crimes like misdemeanors receive accommodation in correction houses or local county-jails. Depending on the level of danger of the inmates, the US have different prisons with varying level of security, with minimum security for housing ordinary non threatening offenders, while the prison ...