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Is running prisons a legitimate function of government or should they be privatized?

Private prisons are a billion dollar industry here in the United States, but is that really something that should be left to private companies or should the government handle it? I heard a report on NPR on this topic and there are arguments about the practicality of private prisons on both sides: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134855801/private-prison-promises-leave-texas-towns-in-trouble But, of course, they never stopped to ask whether or not that is a legitimate function of government or not. What do you think?

Trey , 05.11.2011, 15:09
Idea status: completed

Comments

Brad Aisa, 13.08.2013, 19:21
Since the operation of prisons necessarily involves the use of force (forcible confinement) of people, it is a necessary adjunct of the judicial system and is absolutely a function of government.

The question of what aspect should be run directly by the government and what aspects operated privately is purely an implementation question, and there are many options. But even if a prison is operated entirely by contract by a private company, it's use of force must be completely codified by government edict (typically a statute). You might find it helpful to read something like a Police Act of a jurisdiction. Such an Act defines in detail how the police department shall be run, its powers, its responsibilities, its main chain of command, and so on.
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Mike Hardy, 20.01.2014, 17:03
It is alleged that some private prison companies have lobbied to keep illicit drugs illicit precisely because it's good for business to have lots of people locked up for violations.
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