Private Prisons: Not Just Evil, But Expensive
People with half a human soul still extant in their corporeal shells tend to be creeped out by the concept of "private prisons," what with its overtones of prison-industrial complex run amok. But hey, private prisons save a few bucks, so bring em on! Right? No.
The NYT reports that new research in Arizona—a state that loves to arrest minorities and dress them in humiliating outfits, on general principle—found that private prisons don't save the state a nickel! In fact, "the state's own data indicate that inmates in private prisons can cost as much as $1,600 more per year, while many cost about the same as they do in state-run prisons." That confirms earlier research out of Utah. And it seems to make even more damning other research out of Florida showing that private prisons spent only half as much on inmate health care as state prisons did.
It does kind of make sense that private prisons don't save us money. First, private industry will always maximize its profits; and second, anything horrible will necessarily turn out to be true, when it comes to private prisons.
