Foundation Briefs December 2014 PF Brief Resolved: For-profit prisons in the United States should be banned. foundationbriefs.com Page 1 of 159 Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................... 1 A note .................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Definitions............................................................................................................................................................... 8 Private prison as a service contractor. DAT ............................................................................................... 8 History..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Backgrounder on the public-private shift. DAT ......................................................................................... 9 Current incarceration demographic data. DAT ......................................................................................... 10 Topic Analysis One ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Topic Analysis Two .............................................................................................................................................. 15 Pro Evidence ......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Private Prisons’ Conditions Encourage Recidivism ......................................................................................... 25 Basic rehabilitation services are often unavailable. DAT ......................................................................... 25 Strategies to prevent recidivism. DAT ...................................................................................................... 26 Private prison are sorely lacking rehabilitation curriculum. DAT ............................................................ 27 Private Prisons and Shocking Truths on their Conditions. PSM .............................................................. 28 Gang Rules Private Prisons. PSM ............................................................................................................. 29 The Perverse Incentives of Private Prisons and Inmate Behavior. PSM .................................................. 30 Poor Incentives Neglect Rehabilitation, Encourage Recidivism AMS .................................................... 31 The impacts of public prisons’ superior training programs. DAT ............................................................ 32 The economic impacts of discouraging recidivism. DAT ........................................................................ 33 Corporations fully admit their profits depend on recidivism. DAT .......................................................... 34 Private prisons internally lengthen sentence times. ...................................................................................... 35 Private prisons are encouraged to increase sentence times on a per-inmate basis. DAT ......................... 35 Profit-driven practices can deter inmates from getting paroled. DAT ...................................................... 36 Private Prisons are Legally Unrestrained .......................................................................................................... 37 Federal prisoners cannot bring civil rights suits against private prisons. DAT ........................................ 37 Family Blames Private Prison for Death of Inmate. PSM ........................................................................ 38 Private contractors aren’t held accountable by the government or market forces. DAT .......................... 39 Private prisons’ inmates have unacceptably narrow constitutional rights. DAT ...................................... 40 Case study: Eighth Amendment violations in private prisons. DAT ........................................................ 41 foundationbriefs.com Page 1 of 159 Public prison officials have more legal leeway on whistleblowing. DAT ............................................... 42 Overreliance on Private Contractors is Dangerous ........................................................................................... 43 Too many agencies are reliant on the same contractor. DAT ................................................................... 43 States use private system more rapidly than federal system. ASF ........................................................... 44 The Federal Government relies more on private prisons than State systems. ASF .................................. 44 Gladiator School and Idaho Correctional Centers Contracts. PSM .......................................................... 45 Prison Privatization and Criticisms of Profiteering from Asylum Reforms. PSM ................................... 46 Private Prisons and Patronage by Governments. PSM ............................................................................. 47 Outsourcing of Prison Health Care to Private Companies. PSM .............................................................. 48 Quotas Hurt Inmates and Taxpayers ................................................................................................................. 49 Lockup Quotas AMS ................................................................................................................................ 49 Occupancy Requirements Hurt Economies AMS ..................................................................................... 50 Private Prisons Oppose the Public Interest ....................................................................................................... 51 Private contractors have a vested interest in retaining their own importance. DAT ................................ 51 Private Prison Contracts and Mass Incarcerations. PSM .......................................................................... 52 Criticism of Corrections Corporation of America. PSM .......................................................................... 53 Prison Industry and Big Businesses or New Form of Slavery. PSM ........................................................ 54 Profitability of Halfway Houses and Prisons. PSM .................................................................................. 56 Larger Inmate Prison is Boon to Private Prisons. PSM ............................................................................ 57 Jailing Americans for Profit. PSM ............................................................................................................ 58 Prisons are the Problem Not the Solution and Criticisms by ACLU. PSM .............................................. 60 Wrongful Imprisonment in California AMS ............................................................................................. 61 Private Prison Industry Opposes Taxpayer Interests AMS ....................................................................... 61 Economic Strain of CCA AMS................................................................................................................. 62 Growth of Private Prisons Despite Critics ........................................................................................................ 63 Growth of Private Prisons Despite Criticisms. PSM ................................................................................ 63 Private Prisons Underperform Against Public Prisons ..................................................................................... 64 Statistical Data on Performance of Private Prisons in Britain. PSM ........................................................ 64 Exploring the Purported Cost Efficiency of Private Prisons. PSM .......................................................... 65 Failed Instances of Private Prisons ................................................................................................................... 66 Failing Private Prisons in England. PSM .................................................................................................. 66 No More Privatization of Ohio Prisons. PSM .......................................................................................... 67 CCA Profits from California Taxpayers, Hurts California AMS ............................................................. 68 foundationbriefs.com Page 2 of 159 Youth Service's International Fails AMS ................................................................................................. 69 Prisons Strive to Cut Costs at Inmates' Expense AMS ............................................................................. 70 Florida's Private Prisons Scandal AMS .................................................................................................... 70 Money Spent on Lobbying for Private Prisons ................................................................................................. 71 Prison Economics and Immigration Laws. PSM ...................................................................................... 71 Private Prison Spend Millions on Lobbying to Increase Prison Population. PSM ................................... 72 Private Prisons Lobby for Harsher Sentences. PSM ................................................................................. 73 Prison for Profit May Indicate More Time Behind Bars. PSM ................................................................ 74 Corruption in Private Prisons AMS .......................................................................................................... 75 Private Prisons Sway Lobbyists AMS ...................................................................................................... 75 Private prison companies use economic leverage in smaller elections. DAT .......................................... 76 Private Prisons Hurt Non-Citizens .................................................................................................................... 77 Prisons designed to hold non-citizens (CARs) are sub-par. ASF ............................................................. 77 Public prisons have stricter regulation, leading to worse conditions in CARs. ASF ................................ 78 The BOP renews sup-par contracts. ASF ................................................................................................. 79 Undertrained personnel are a liability in private detention centers. DAT ................................................ 80 Private Prisons Block Need for Systematic Reform ......................................................................................... 81 Private Prisons Block Need for Systematic Change AMS ....................................................................... 81 The financial costs of continued mass incarceration. DAT ...................................................................... 82 The opportunity cost of investing in private prisons. DAT ...................................................................... 83 Private prison quotas run counter to federal incarceration-easing initiatives. DAT ................................. 84 States are already implementing cost-effective measures. DAT .............................................................. 85 Investing in more prisons is counterproductive, legally and economically. DAT .................................... 86 Horrifying Conditions in Private Prisons .......................................................................................................... 87 James Slattery's Corrupt Private System AMS ......................................................................................... 87 Private Prisons Have Worse Conditions AMS ......................................................................................... 88 Private Prisons Hurt Youth AMS ............................................................................................................. 88 Scandals in Youth Prisons AMS ............................................................................................................... 89 Dockery v. Epps Case Documents Poor Conditions of Private Prison AMS ........................................... 89 Human Rights Violations .................................................................................................................................. 90 Private contractors’ operational paradigms push human rights under the rug. DAT ............................... 90 Private prisons skirt basic services for their inmates. DAT ...................................................................... 91 Private prison operations are contingent on limiting freedom. DAT ........................................................ 92 foundationbriefs.com Page 3 of 159 Basic medical care in private prisons isn’t legally guaranteed. DAT ....................................................... 93 Con Evidence ........................................................................................................................................................ 94 Private Prisons Don’t Provide Worse Services ................................................................................................. 95 Recidivism data has yet to link private management with increased relapses. DAT ............................... 95 Research is unlikely to prove private prisons empirically worse. DAT ................................................... 96 The Case for Private Prisons by CCA Employee. PSM ........................................................................... 97 Private Prisons are Cost Effective. PSM ................................................................................................... 98 Private Prisons are More Cost-Efficiently Run. PSM .............................................................................. 99 Private Prisons are Cheaper for Taxpayers. PSM ................................................................................... 100 Experts from Temple University say Prison Privatization Provide Real Benefits. PSM ....................... 102 All Prisons Should Have Competitive Neutrality ........................................................................................... 104 Adding public management to private competitions improves quality. DAT ........................................ 104 With competitive neutrality, there is effectively no public-private divide. DAT ................................... 105 Private prisons are not definitively more or less cost-effective. DAT .................................................... 106 Overhead operating costs need to be determined on a case-by-case basis. DAT ................................... 107 The best solution is Success-Oriented Funding. DAT ............................................................................ 108 Private Prisons Have Untapped Innovation Potential ..................................................................................... 109 Private prison contracts can be used to efficiently reform the American prison system. DAT .............. 109 Private prisons are a superior setting for rehabilitation. DAT ................................................................ 110 Private Prisons Succeed in Private Operations. PSM ............................................................................. 111 Private Prisons Implement Beneficial Changes AMS ............................................................................ 112 Better Service of Private Prisons AMS ................................................................................................... 112 Private Prisons Outscore Public AMS .................................................................................................... 113 Private prisons can still enhance savings by penetrating union-dominated markets. DAT .................... 114 Private Prison Benefits from Lower Costs and Higher Efficiency AMS ............................................... 115 Private Prisons Reduce Operational Costs AMS .................................................................................... 116 Private Prisons are More Efficient .................................................................................................................. 117 Private Prison Benefits from Lower Costs and Higher Efficiency AMS ............................................... 117 Case study: Texas prison savings contracts. DAT .................................................................................. 118 An economic projection of cost savings. DAT ....................................................................................... 119 Private prisons often provide superior services at lower prices. DAT ................................................... 120 Private Incarceration is Safer .......................................................................................................................... 122 Private prisons have a higher rate of accreditation. DAT ....................................................................... 122 foundationbriefs.com Page 4 of 159 Public and Private Prisons Have Identical Deficiencies ................................................................................. 123 Neither public nor private prisons meet democratic standards. DAT ..................................................... 123 The systemic problems of public and private prisons are identical. DAT .............................................. 124 Pro Counters........................................................................................................................................................ 125 Private Prisons Are More Costly .................................................................................................................... 126 Private prisons rely on the same funding mechanisms and encourage further spending. DAT ............. 126 Private Prisons Dispute Criticisms on Efficiency. PSM ......................................................................... 127 Private corporations face costly lawsuits which suck taxpayer money. DAT ........................................ 128 Private prison contracts can financially wreck rural communities. DAT ............................................... 129 Prison development fails to boost local economies. DAT ...................................................................... 130 The promised savings from private prisons are empty. DAT ................................................................. 131 Market competition doesn’t make private prisons more efficient. DAT ................................................ 132 Private Prisons Make Prison System Worse ................................................................................................... 133 California's Private Prisons AMS ........................................................................................................... 133 System Needs Reform AMS ................................................................................................................... 134 Needless Prisoners AMS ......................................................................................................................... 134 Working in private prisons is demoralizing for prison staff. DAT ......................................................... 135 The turnover rate at private prisons is too high to maintain security in the system. DAT ..................... 136 Prison contracts incentivize recidivism and mass incarceration. DAT ................................................... 137 Corrupt Collaboration ..................................................................................................................................... 138 CCA Prisons Maintain Relevance through Congressional Influence AMS ........................................... 138 Union and Private Prisons Alliance AMS .............................................................................................. 139 Private prisons undermine the democratic principles of the criminal justice system. DAT ................... 140 Faulty Reporting on Private Prison System .................................................................................................... 141 Reality of Private Prisons Exposed AMS ............................................................................................... 141 Public Prisons Staff are not Paid Large Salaries ............................................................................................. 142 Costs in Prison System not a Result of Prison Staffing Salaries AMS ................................................... 142 Private prison staff are relatively underpaid and inexperienced, with disastrous results. DAT ............. 143 Private Prison Accreditation Is Meaningless .................................................................................................. 144 Even if a prison is accredited, it doesn’t necessarily follow procedures. DAT ...................................... 144 Con Counters ...................................................................................................................................................... 145 Private Prisons Do Not Promote Overcrowding ............................................................................................. 146 Private Prisons Do Not Cause Incarceration AMS ................................................................................. 146 foundationbriefs.com Page 5 of 159 2011 Case Declares Need for Private Prisons AMS ............................................................................... 146 The Economic Savings Are Indisputable ........................................................................................................ 147 A decade’s worth of studies have a unanimous conclusion. DAT ......................................................... 147 Case study: Rural economic benefits from private prisons. DAT .......................................................... 148 Private Prison Conditions Aren’t Worse ........................................................................................................ 149 Overcrowding isn’t an issue. DAT ......................................................................................................... 149 The state ties the hands of private contractor. DAT ............................................................................... 150 Prisons’ Problems Trace Back to the Justice System ..................................................................................... 151 American incarceration rates are too high for prisons to keep up. DAT ................................................ 151 The state fails to set minimum standards for private prisons. DAT ....................................................... 152 Private Prisons and Legal Constraints ............................................................................................................ 153 Public and private prisoners alike have identical legal protections. DAT .............................................. 153 Private prisons’ lobbies do not dictate prison legislation. DAT ............................................................. 154 Contentions ......................................................................................................................................................... 155 Pro Case .......................................................................................................................................................... 156 Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................ 156 Contention One: Private Prisons Encourage Recidivism ............................................................................ 156 Contention Two: Costs ............................................................................................................................... 157 Contention Three: For-Profit Prisons Block Need for Reform ................................................................... 157 Con Case ......................................................................................................................................................... 158 Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................ 158 Contention 1: Private prisons aren’t deficient ............................................................................................ 158 Contention 2: Private prisons are an asset to the criminal justice system .................................................. 159 Contention 3: Private prisons enable reform .............................................................................................. 159 foundationbriefs.com Page 6 of 159 December 2014 Note A note The abbreviations after our taglines (DAT, AMS, etc) are the initials of our authors. foundationbriefs.com Page 7 of 159 December 2014 Definitions Definitions Private prison as a service contractor. DAT Lundahl, Brad et al. “Prison Privatization: A Meta-Analysis of Cost Effectiveness and Quality of Confinement Indicators.” Utah Criminal Justice Center. University of Utah. 26 April 2007. Accessed 11/10/2014. Web. http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp- content/uploads/861.pdf Brad Lundahl is an associate professor at the University of Utah’s College of Social Work. Prison privatization involves a business contracting with a branch of the government to operate a prison facility. Many of the large businesses operating prisons today are publicly traded companies (Chang & Thompkins, 2002). Private companies generally charge the government a daily rate per inmate to cover investment, operating costs, and profit. Under this rate, private companies supply many or most of the services needed to operate a prison system, including guards, staff, food, program costs, medical care (partial), and other services. Private companies may also build new facilities without direct tax expenditures or public bonds (Lanza-Kaduce et al., 1999). This is different from what is technically considered privatization, wherein a business or industry dictates the rules of their operation, in addition to building and managing the facilities. foundationbriefs.com Page 8 of 159 December 2014 History History Backgrounder on the public-private shift. DAT Mitchell, Matthew. “The Pros of Privately-Housed Cons: New Evidence on the Cost Savings of Private Prisons.” heartland.org. Rio Grande Foundation. March 2003. Accessed 11/10/2014. Web. http://heartland.org/sites/all/modules/custom/heartland_migration/files/pdfs/12247. pdf The Rio Grande Foundation is a New-Mexico-based research institute. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, public backlash against soft-on-crime policies delivered a generation of tougher judges to the bench. Levitt noted in 1996 that “the incarceration rate in the United States has more than tripled in the last two decades.”1 Federal and state criminal statutes—particularly those dealing with drugs—were also strengthened and law enforcement budgets redoubled. Between 1982 and 1999, the federal government increased its police expenditure by 485 percent ($35 to $40 billion dollars a year go to the War on Drugs alone).2 Over the same period, states increased their police expenditures by 239 percent.3 Both trends out-paced inflation and overall growth in government spending by a wide margin. The inevitable result was an explosion in the prison population. Between 1980 and 1999, the U.S. prison population grew fifteen times faster than the population at large.4 By 1986, “all but seven states were operating their prisons in excess of 95 percent capacity.”5 The overcrowded prisons begat quality lapses. In 1983, “Only about one-fifth of all state and federal prisons were accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections.”6 More seriously, courts began to intervene, asserting that states’ old and crowded facilities violated the Constitution. When in the early 1980s Tennessee’s entire correctional system was found unconstitutional, the state considered contracting with a private firm. The firm, the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), had been incorporated in 1983 to contract with the Federal Immigration and Naturalization Service to detain illegal immigrants pending hearings or deportation.7 Tennessee refused CCA’s offer. But not long after, prison privatization began in earnest. In 1985, Florida’s Bay County contracted with CCA to operate its jail. The next year, CCA contracted with Santa Fe County, New Mexico to run its jail. By 1987, there were about 3,000 people held in private prisons nationwide. This represented little over one half of one percent of the entire prison population.8 By 2001, the private prison population had soared to over 91,000 inmates. Despite such rapid growth, only about seven percent of all prisoners were in private custody in 2001. foundationbriefs.com Page 9 of 159