Why Should Private Prisons Be Banned

Private Prisons are the Problem Not the Solution Today 25% of the world’s prison population is located in the United States (Baker). The majority of which are imprisoned for nonviolent drug use. Privatized prisons are for profit only, so laws state they must stay full at all times. Prison worker unions are spending money to keep certain drugs illegal to bring in more inmates to keep their job security. Privatized prisons should be banned because they all require at least a 90% or higher occupancy rate, people are being arrested for essentially victimless crimes and they are contributing to the War On Drugs.

Owing to the fact that most of these prisons must be kept full at all times, many inmates are imprisoned for essentially victimless crimes, meaning there is no harm directly and specifically imposed upon another person and as a result, there is no victim, and are given rather long sentences. Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Virginia all have contracts requiring …show more content…
The answer is no, according to Russ Baker of “Civil Liberties” the majority of inmates in these prisons are locked up for nonviolent drug use or are undocumented immigrants that should be deported back to their home country and not detained behind bars. Not to the fact that many of the inmates are dangerous and should be behind bars the majority of which have done nothing to harm or endanger anyone else. The privatization of prisons is yet another instance of how small-government supporters are driving more and more of our lives into the hands of companies whose only interest is to turn a profit. This heavily impacts young black males, about one in nine of whom is in prison, many for using or selling marijuana, or, to a lesser degree, harder drugs (Cohen). Although whites have comparable drug use rates, their prosecution rates are dramatically