Thread: Hear Me Out: Are private prisons necessary in Arizona?

Hear Me Out: Are private prisons necessary in Arizona?

Posted: 8:16 PM
Last Updated: 1 hour and 10 minutes ago
By: ABC15.com staff

PHOENIX - The nation faces tough questions in tough times, and there are people on both sides of every issue.

Arizona is no different. But who’s saying what about the issues important to Arizonans?

Each Sunday, ABC15.com debuts an Arizona issue - along with two opposing sides on the topic.

Don’t worry, you always have the opportunity to make comments at the bottom of the page. Yeah, your opinion matters too.

This week we're tackling the debate over the use of private prisons in Arizona.

After a much-publicized escape at a privately-operated prison in Kingman, the use of private facilities was called in to question and even became a divisive political issue for state officials .

Some say the use of private prisons saves taxpayer money and alleviates overcrowding issues at public prisons. They argue the use of privately run facilities is a boon to the economy and even helps provide jobs.

Others contend private prisons lack the security and oversight of public prisons and any savings passed on to taxpayers are greatly exaggerated. They say escape and safety concerns are serious issues continuing to plague privately-run facilities.

So, are private prisons necessary in Arizona?

Click "next" to read the first of two positions, "Correctional partnership provides the best of both worlds"


CORRECTIONAL PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: By Steve Owen, Corrections Corporation of America

A History of Partnership:
For many decades, governments at all levels have turned to the private sector to provide services once delivered exclusively by the public sector. Public-private partnerships are now prevalent in air traffic control, education, toll road operations, waste management and corrections.

Correctional partnerships have been an effective instrument in the “toolboxâ€

I've always been against private prisons. I believe private prisons are the reason we have a racist and futile war on drugs which I oppose. I think drugs should be legalized/regulated/taxed under the FairTax, owned and operated by licensed US citizens from A to Z, a portion of the taxes drug users pay should be used to better educate the public on the risk and consequences of drug use and provide free rehabilitation on demand without stigma for anyone who wants or needs it. I believe private prisons are also the reason we have mandatory sentencing which has led to our country having the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world which means we have the highest loss of liberty and the highest cost of incarceration in the world. Private prisons haven't created 1 true job or saved the US 1 true dime.

Stop these corrupt incestuos government/business partnerships that serve no purpose at all except to take a liberty from one to line the pockets of another.

If Sheriff Joe can run an efficient incarceration program in Maricopa County, Arizona, then every city, county and state can run one.