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Private Prisons are Booming

By Jeralyn, Section Inmates and Prisons
Posted on Sun Jul 31, 2005 at 02:31:19 PM EST
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At least one sector of the economy is booming - the private prison industry:

Since 2000, the number of federal inmates in private facilities — prisons and halfway houses — has increased by two-thirds to more than 24,000. Thousands more detainees not convicted of crimes are confined in for-profit facilities, which now hold roughly 14 percent of all federal prisoners, compared to less than 6 percent of state inmates.

The war against drug offenders and immigrants has fueled the boom which is expected to continue to grow. Stories of abuses abound. Here's an excellent article by Alan Pendergast of Westword on how private prisons have turned out in Colorado. Another good read is this article by Christian Parenti.

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    Private Prisons are Booming | 1 comment (1 topical)
    Re: Private Prisons are Booming (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:49 PM EST
    I would recommend anyone interested in prison life in America to read Christian Parenti's "Lockdown America" from which the article is taken. It's a fantastic book that lays out the depths and horror of the Correctional-Industrial Complex, and how the issue of incarceration became (and still is) easy poltical capital.

    Private Prisons are Booming | 1 comment (1 topical)