Violence at Private Prisons in the U.S. Receiving Little Exposure

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Source: NY Times

Violence in private prisons across the U.S. has not had enough coverage in the media, yet a report from the Department of Justice found that private prisons fostered more violence than public ones.

Despite this fact, the Trump administration has sought to increase the use of private institutions to imprison thousands of inmates across the U.S. In fact, the percentage of inmates in private prisons has increased by 45 percent since 2001.

While some states have slowly phased out the use of private prisons, others have embraced it as an opportunity to save on state budgets since the cost is lower.

For many of these private prisons, such as the East Mississippi Correctional Facility that was recently found that have several cases of violence that went unattended, the level of violence is high, and the training of the staff is low. Additionally, guards are paid very low wages and their training is half the length of training for guards who work in government prisons.

While private institutions boast lower costs, it is ultimately achievable because of the low standards implemented that lead to violence and un-invested staff.

Read Full Story: NY Times

Justice & Poverty, News
Justice & Poverty, News