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Paper Abstract: U.S. as the country with the highest number of incarcerated individuals. Discusses problems facing U.S. correctional system. Prisons stretched past their limits, triggering riots and violence among prisoners and misconduct by correctional officers. Decline of services for prisoners. Causes of overcrowding. Discusses options and programs to reduce overcrowding. Paper Introduction: The topic of this paper is private prisons and its contribution to the American criminal justice system. In order to cope with the problems of overcrowding in prisons and the escalating costs of building cells, public officials have transferred the responsibility of incarceration to private corporations. The growth of the private prison industry is based on the belief that corporations can improve cost efficiency of prisons by reducing expenses by 15 to 20 percent. According to Susan Hart of Corrections Corporation of America (CCA)—the largest prison company in the country, private firms are not as hampered by rules and procedures in obtaining supplies and construction as public organizations. In addition, private prisons also save on labor costs with the provision of lower wages and the absence of labor unions. The use of high Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Furthermore, researchers analyzing the billion-dollar private industryhave also found that private corporations have failed to deliver theirpromise of providing cost-efficient services. The growth of the private prison industry is based on thebelief that corporations can improve cost efficiency of prisons by reducingexpenses by 15 to 2 percent. In addition, nearly 4 percent of thefacilities have also benefited from low-cost construction financing throughtax-free bonds or debt security provided by the government, along withproperty tax reductions. Phinney, D. In order to cope with the problems ofovercrowding in prisons and the escalating costs of building cells, publicofficials have transferred the responsibility of incarceration to privatecorporations. The use of high technology such as video cameras,infrared security systems and heat detectors also diminishes the need forstaff (Phinney, 1998a, pp. Phinney, D. Phinney, D. The rise and fall of private prisons as a solution to fight againstcrime is a reflection of the society's perception of justice and thefunction of the criminal justice system. More significantly, local governments that haveprovided these subsidies have not attempted to determine whether thesubsidies have exerted a positive impact on the local prisons (v-vi). Although some private corporations haverelied on government subsidies to construct their prisons, many firm havebeen able to build prisons at low costs and manage them cost-effectively.Thus, they have contributed to the crime prevention effort by alleviatingthe pressure on overcrowded public prisons and governments. According to Mattera, Khan,LeRoy and Davis (2 1), almost 75 percent of the large private prisons inthe U.S. The above discussion has shown that the use of private prisons hasboth advantages and disadvantages. For example, the qualityof medical services has fallen because of rising medical costs.Furthermore, private companies have not been able to attract a stable staffof managers and correctional officers in order to provide adequateservices. Available: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/prison/prison_business.html [2 2, January 3]. Available: www.washingtonpost.../wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A15289- 2 1Feb1 [2 2, January 3]. 4). NortheastOhio Correctional experienced two murders and 2 stabbings among its 1,7 inmates, compared with 22 assaults and two murders among the 48, inmatesin Ohio's public prisons in 1997 (Phinney, 1998b, p. On the other hand, private prison companies have experiencedtremendous problems with their facilities precisely because they are drivenby their need to lower costs and increase profits. 1). At the sametime, the offenders also become reintegrated into society, as they areinvolved in the process of repairing the damage they have done to thevictims and the community to the best of their ability. (1998b). Furthermore, the establishment of private prisons in certain regionshas provided jobs and construction contracts to residents living indeclining local communities. Some of the problems with private prisons can also be attributed toother issues such as inexperienced staff. In ABCNews.com [Online], 1-4. They didn't see it coming. The topic of this paper is private prisons and its contribution tothe American criminal justice system. Slevin, P. Available: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/prison/prison_youngstown.html [2 2, January 3]. The Youngstownsituation was exacerbated by the fact that the CCA violated its deal withlocal officials by shipping in over 6 maximum-security prisoners, eventhough the facility was designated for medium-security prisoners only. Thus, private prisons suffer from an extremely highturnover rate. In ABCNews.com [Online], 1-4. Washington, D.C.: Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Therefore, the policymakers' current concept of the correctionalsystem, as reflected in the mindless construction of private prisons by for-profit institutions, should be transformed. The booming prison business. For example, four inmates and a guard died inWackenhut's New Mexico prisons in 1998 (Slevin, 1998, pp. Thebreakouts of violence and riots in several private prisons have triggeredserious concerns about their capacity to perform the functions of guardingand rehabilitating offenders. References Mattera, P., Khan, M., LeRoy, G., & Davis, K. 4). Jail breaks: Economic development subsidies given to private prisons. (2 1, February 18). In addition, privateprisons also save on labor costs with the provision of lower wages and theabsence of labor unions. Instead of focusing onpunishing the offenders, the new concept of criminal justice system shouldplace its attention on helping the victims and reintegrating the offendersinto the community. Available: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/prison/prison_movement.html [2 2, January 3]. Although private prisons were touted as the cost-efficient panaceafor the prevention of crime during the mid-199 s, they have lost theirattractiveness amidst mounting problems and reduction in crime rates. However,prisons with their prison subculture only spawn hardened criminals who areill-prepared for the responsibilities of the real world. Audits at two CCA prisons in North Carolina revealed a direneed for additional staff and problems such as the poor handling of medicalsupplies and inmates' bank accounts (Slevin, 2 1, p. Instead of addressing the causesof criminal behavior and rehabilitating the offenders, the criminal justicesystem is expected to prevent crime through deterrence and elimination ofthe offenders by locking them up in order to protect the public. 2-3). Prison firms seek inmates and profits. Moreover, in their rampant pursuit of profits, private prisoncompanies have sought to increase their market share at a relentless rate.Companies such as the CCA almost went bankrupt, as facilities that wereconstructed in anticipation of prisoners remain almost empty today.Apparently, these private companies have failed to acknowledge the trendsof falling crime rates (Slevin, 2 1, p. (2 1, October). 2). Although the construction of prisons in small communities hasenabled private prison companies to get good development deals, it hascreated staffing problems: No qualified individuals are willing to work inremote prisons. 1-2). In The Washington Post [Online], 1-5. Evenmore significantly, the poor quality of the staff at private prisons isalso reflected in several lawsuits against CCA corrections officers forphysically abusing inmates (Phinney, 1998b, pp. 1-2;Phinney, 1998c, pp. In this new model of justice, the offenders should beincluded in the group process of determining how best to reimburse thevictims through finances and community service. Therefore, theconstruction of prisons through private companies represents thenightmarish expansion of a criminal justice system that has failed toprotect the public by supporting the creation of a safe and peacefulsociety. According to Susan Hart of CorrectionsCorporation of America (CCA)-the largest prison company in the country,private firms are not as hampered by rules and procedures in obtainingsupplies and construction as public organizations. An integral part of the business plans ofprivate prison companies is to build their facilities in such communities.For the communities that have lost their industries due to economictransitions and recession, the private prison companies hold out thepromise of resurrecting their dormant economy (Phinney, 1998b, pp. Financedprimarily by investors, private prisons essentially reduce governmentfunding for prisons (Phinney, 1998c, p. 1-3). 1-3). This process enables thevictims to begin their journey of healing from the traumas of the crimesand the offenders to pay their dues to the victims and society. Convicts without borders. have received at least one type of federal, state or localeconomic development subsidy. (1998c). In the prison opened by CCA atYoungstown, correctional officers stated that they did not have sufficienttraining and experience to cope with the inmate population. (1998a). In ABCNews.com [Online], 1-6. 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