Thursday, January 24, 2008
Private Prisons - Terrible Idea
Whoever decided that private prisons were in any way a good idea needs a brain scan. How can it be a good idea? Just like everything "private", a company's objective is to make as much money as possible. Hang the consequences. A long time ago, someone told me something that is very true: IBM doesn't make computers, Microsoft don't make software. They both make money.
The main problem is this conflict of interest. A private prison makes money, so obviously, the more prisoners they have, the more money they make. So where is their incentive to prevent re-offending? That would lose them money! And why should they spend any more than the bare minimum at keeping the prisoners alive? That would eat directly into their profits!
It's no surprise that private prisons come bottom of the league table. I just hope that if I, as an innocent person, get locked away for 28 days without trial, that it's not one of these hell-holes.
The main problem is this conflict of interest. A private prison makes money, so obviously, the more prisoners they have, the more money they make. So where is their incentive to prevent re-offending? That would lose them money! And why should they spend any more than the bare minimum at keeping the prisoners alive? That would eat directly into their profits!
It's no surprise that private prisons come bottom of the league table. I just hope that if I, as an innocent person, get locked away for 28 days without trial, that it's not one of these hell-holes.
