Privatization of Correction Facilities in America Richard Munson Columbia Southern University CMJ 5302-19A-2A21-S1, Adult and Juvenile Correctional Systems Kim Clay September 15, 2020

Privatization of Correction Facilities in America

In the United States, state, and federal authorities run the country’s prisons which are becoming increasingly expensive to operate. Government reports suggest that the U.S. allocates approximately $80 billion per year just to house its prison population. Prisons are incurring rising operation costs each year and the prison populations have grown 500% in the last 40 years according to “The Sentencing Project” (2015). Lawmakers have concluded that the best solution to lower the rising costs of operating the country’s prisons, is outsourcing to private companies who will build, oversee, and operate private prisons. However, questions have been raised by civil rights leaders concerning the ethics of privatizing prisons.

Government run prisons are like private prisons as they share the same objectives of managing costs while improving rehabilitation opportunities. The one biggest difference between Government and private run prisons is profit. This difference is also what brings ethical questions into the discussion of which is better. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using private prisons. However, when human beings become the product of a for profit entity, there are serious questions raised about civil rights and ethics. Here are some of the key points to consider in this debate.

· Cost Cutting Measures to Protect Profits

· Amount of Training Given to Prison Staff

· Treatment of Inmates

· Well Being of Inmates

· Amount of Government Oversight

When you hear the terms “organized crime,” what first comes to your mind?

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the term “organized crime” is the film “Good Fellas”. I believe that film gives us a real insight into how and why organized crime is part of our culture. Of course, the film is based on the real-life story of Henry Hill who was part of the Lucchese crime family of New York City between 1955 and 1980. The film narrates the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill and his friends and family. In 1980, Hill was arrested on narcotics charges and became an FBI informant.

I find it ironic that this week’s discussion board is about organized crime and illegal drugs because the mob bosses back in the day did not allow drugs to be sold by their associates. In the film one point that is made again and again is that the crimes they committed were against big companies and thought of as “victimless” crimes by the mob. They have their own hierarchy and once they are in the mob it is almost impossible to get out alive. Not everyone who wants to be in the upper ranks of the mob (made man) has to be Italian and their blood line must be traceable back to Italy. Once the mob got kicked out of Las Vegas in the 1980’s (See the film Casino for more on this) their numbers began to decline, and they fell out of popular culture. John Gotti was probably the last of the famous crime bosses before he died in prison in 2002. He was known as the “Teflon Don” because he kept getting away with the crimes he was accused of even when he was arrested and charged, the feds could not get a conviction to stick for many years.

Brenda

Reference:

Scorsese, M., De, N. R., Liotta, R., Pesci, J., Bracco, L., Sorvino, P., Pileggi, N.,. Warner Home Video (Firm). (1997). Good Fellas. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.