Week 7 - Regine Amparo - A03

The Criminalization of immigration and the privatization of the immigration detention: implication for justice by Alissa R. Ackerman and Rich Furman discusses the privatization of the prison system and its effects on immigration. Immigrants have been demonized by the government, especially since the September 11 attacks. State governments have passed various laws restricting immigrants' ability to live in the U.S. such as Arizona's SB 1070 and Alabama's HB56. Even if they manage to cross into the U.S., various laws prevents them from actually living and working in the country. The privatization of the prison system benefits from the criminalization of these immigrants. To private prisons, the immigrants represent more prisoners that would help the prisons sign more contracts thus earn more revenue. Private prisons are less regulated than state prisons and focus on maximizing profits whether it be through cutting corners for the living situations for the prisoners or the training for the employees. More immigrants are being placed in these state prisons which are already cutting corners. The legal status of the immigrants could also decrease the attention and resources being allocated towards them, placing them in poorer situations than before. However, immigrants ran away from their home country to run away from persecution and poor living situations and would still prefer their living situation in the prisons than in their home country.
Question: Do you think private prisons could successfully work and properly treat prisoners or are prisons better of under the government?

References
Ackerman, A. R., & Furman, R. (2013). The criminalization of immigration and the privatization of the immigration detention: Implications for justice. Contemporary Justice Review, 16(2), 251-263. doi:10.1080/10282580.2013.798506

[Map that shows amount and location of contract prisons in the U.S.] Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/25/juctice-department-decision-not-a-death-sentence-for-private-prisons.html