The Ethics of Prison Privatization - 2393 Words

How true is Christie’s warning that an increasingly privatized penal service threatens the ethics and effectiveness of the criminal justice system? More aspects of the penal system are now privatized, and are set to increase. This includes the privatization of such services as prisons, electronic tags, catering companies, probation work or prison escort services. David Taylor-Smith, head of the world’s biggest security firm, G4S says he expects private companies will be running large parts of the UK’s police service within five years (Taylor and Travis, 2012). Nils Christie’s text (2000) â€Å"Crime Control as Industry† draws upon increasing prison populations in the US. However reflecting upon that the prison population in England and†¦show more content†¦The quotas insure private companies make a profit and reduce financial risk, though if the required occupancy rate is not met the outcome can be very negative for taxpayers, for example in the state of Colorado, due to three private prisons that didn’t meet the quota cost it taxpayers $2 million (In the Public Interest, 2013, 2). Cri minal justice activists argue that the quotas promote legislation that push incarceration and negatively affect sentencing and criminal justice reforms (Lynch, 2013) and budgets are spent on bed space rather than important social services. In 2008 a kids for cash scandal unfolded in Pennsylvania where judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan pleaded guilty to tax evasion and wire fraud. These offences involved an agreement between the judges and two private detention centres that they will be responsible for sending thousands of juveniles for a $2.6 million kickback (Urbina, 2009, 1). Judge Ciavarella sentenced juveniles to detention twice the state average in order to keep up with the deal. Both judges sent children to detention centres for minor offences that would usually be served with light punishment such as community service (Urbina, 2009, 2). Christie (2000, 14) believes that â€Å"the size of the prison population is a result of decisions. We are free to choose†, his conviction is veryShow MoreRelatedIts Time to Privatize Colombian’s Prisons2566 Words   |  11 Pageslack of prisons spaces, poor condition within the prisons, and the state responsibilities of running prisons services adequatel y, by the figure of prison privatization. (Cavadino, M. and Dignan, J. 2007) The figure of contracting out has been well described by Cavadino and Dignan in their analysis of the prison privatization. This model involves the private sector in the penal system, by giving to it certain responsibilities, such as, auxiliary services, design and construction of prisons, basicRead MoreEssay about The Public-Private Prison Debate2326 Words   |  10 PagesCalifornia is suffering from a crisis in the prison system. Its facilities are operating at double capacity and grossly deficient medical care is the cause of at least one inmate death per week (Wood, 2008, para. 2). Because of this need for reform, the federal government is stepping in to direct the state prison’s operating procedure. Although the financial choices of each state should be free from federal control, the federal government is still known to put pressure on states to make decisionsRead MoreStakeholder Analysis Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesPRIVATE PRISON CORPORATION OF AMERICA Nowadays, we are facing a major experiment in privatization. For example, private companies have entered the business of managing public schools, or religious schools. Also, they even run in prison industry. Among them is Private Prison Corporation of America, which is growing fast in prison industry in the United States. Especially, immigration detention business has brought up massive profit for Private Prison of America. Therefore, corporation is planningRead MoreThe American Correctional Facility System Essay1107 Words   |  5 Pagesmanage the prisons and probation offices. Americans complain about crime and the expenses it costs the general public, not realizing where the problem stands. But If Americans really want to make a resolve crime problem, we need to change the penal system, amend the laws and statutes, and enforce ethics in the legal system. American prison inmates provided with some luxuries that may not be available to them in the free world, there is a select group who gets special treatment Prisons offer heatRead MoreThe Article Sharks, Saints, And Samurai : The Power Of Ethics1084 Words   |  5 PagesReview on Ethics and Negotiations The article Sharks, Saints, and Samurai: The Power of Ethics in Negotiations, gives three techniques of negotiation. The first being the â€Å"sharks† who are very tactical and want to win every negotiation. The second are the â€Å"saints† who believe in building a relationship with their opponents and base their tactics on ethical standards, which in the end ensure fairness. The third is the â€Å"samurai† who negotiate with the principle, â€Å"of doing the right thing for itsRead MoreDeath Penalties Throughout History1443 Words   |  6 Pagescan most certainly provide a more useful outcome to such a dark decision. As 18 of the great United States of America have already shown, a large portion of Americans strongly opposes the death penalty, but not merely for ethical reasons. Of course, ethics are still a huge portion of the decision on capital punishment. Mahatma Gandhi once said, â€Å"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.† This quote embodies the ethical argument made by non-violent supporters of abolishing the death penalty. ManyRead MoreDisproportionate Incarceration of African Americans Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican Americans The disproportionate numbers of African Americans in the prison system is a very serious issue, which is not usually discussed in its totality. However, it is quite important to address the matter because it ultimately will have an effect on African Americans as a whole. Of the many tribulations that plague Americans today, the increase in the amount of African American men and women in prisons is unbelievable. It would be naà ¯ve to say that the increase is due to the factRead MoreAmerican Prison Systems: Do They Really Work?4530 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿American Prison Systems: Do They Really Work? Introduction: A History of American Prison Systems Prisons were among the first public buildings erected in the New World, and were considered as essential as a cemetery in every town (Lynch, n.d.). However, colonial American prisons were not houses of punishment, as they would later evolve to be (Lynch, n.d). A person who committed a crime was sent to prison only while awaiting trial, and after the trial was complete, the sentence would entailRead MorePrison Practices During The Civil War Essay1805 Words   |  8 PagesPrison practices started to become more common in the United States following the civil war in 1865, in the form of using previous slaves to work the lands, picking cottons, and more with a promise to reward them with an insignificant shares that is almost not worth it. The beneficiaries continue to take advantage of the slavery system since it is so profitable, to even the extent of utilizing prison for cheaper labor by violating the 13th amendment stating: â€Å"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitudeRead MoreG overnment Of Florida, A State Government Essay2339 Words   |  10 Pagesgovernment spending, state government information, local budgets, and state employee data. On top of all that, in January of 2011, Governor Rick Scott passed and executive order (number 11- 03) which was basically a way to fortify the FOIA and promote ethics and open government. The main ways it accomplishes these things by appointing several counsel leaders to keep the Office of the Governor accountable in all of its actions, and also by requiring the Office of Open Government to assist the general