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| Private prisons wrong answer for budget woes |
| By eastvalleytribune.com |
| Published: 09/17/2009 |
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On Sept. 17, 2007, two murderers from Washington state escaped from a private prison in Florence where they were serving time. They reportedly jumped a guard, hopped the fence and were gone. A for-profit private maximum security prison could soon be coming to a community near you. Two weeks ago, Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law House Bill 2010, which starts the bidding process to turn over Arizona Department of Corrections prisons, including maximum security facilities, to a private corporation in the name of cutting costs and generating revenue. Brewer previously vetoed the private prison bill in July. The private prison industry stands to make lots of money while the state gets some quick cash, but at what cost to us? Private minimum security lockups may be fine for misdemeanors and DUIs, but a maximum security prison? A Phoenix daily newspaper reported on July 29 that state corrections officials are worried about private prisons being able to handle Arizona's "most hardened criminals." On June 14, it was reported that Corrections Director Charles Ryan voiced concerns to Brewer in a letter questioning the ability of for-profit prisons to control volatile maximum security inmates. Private guards reportedly receive less pay and training than state officers. Experts tell me 30 to 40 percent of Arizona's 40,000 prison inmates are associated with gangs that continue to grow both inside and outside of prison. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice reported the Mexican drug cartels, this country's "greatest organized crime threat," have established affiliations with street and prison gangs, and as much as 80 percent of crime is committed by gangs. Read More. |
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