Privatization of Prisons (Due Wed May 1st)
In a response to a hardened economy and rising incarceration rates, there has been a great deal of growth in the privatization of prisons. After reading the NY Times "Prisons, Privatization, Patronage" article and watching the two YouTube clips, discuss at length the pros and cons of privatization of prisons. In addition, discuss whether you support or oppose this privatization and why.
Although I was not in class to read this article or watch the clips, I believe that the privatization of prisons could be a bad idea.
The major point in arguing for private prisons is the money issue; many Americans do not want their tax dollars going towards housing criminal deviants. And I agree, prisons are extremely expensive and the money to maintain them should not come from taxes. This being said, I also do not believe that prisons should be private.
Let's compare state and private prisons to public school and Catholic school. To be a teacher in a public school, the state issues guidelines on the level of education you have, what to teach in the classroom and when, how to handle emergency situations, how many days students must attend school, etc. Catholic school, however, does not have to follow these guidelines. Their teachers do not need to be certified, the number of days in a year are not as restricted, and the material that they cover does not have a state-mandated order and depth.
If prisons went private, I fear that the rules and guidelines that keep prisoners in check will began to slip. The state regulations would not be as present, so corrections officers may not have as much structure as they do now. There is also always the chance of a deviant purchasing a prison and running It like his/her own little country, where that person is the overall ruler.
In conclusion, I do not believe that prisons should be privately owned. I believe that, though privatization has its benefits, the negative possibilities outweigh the positive ones. Although I did not view the YouTube videos or news article, I still believe that prisons should be owned by the government.
