Private Prisons and the Occupancy Requirement

[AgeofKnowledge]

Private prisons have grown dramatically over the last two decades in the U.S.. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the nation's largest owner of private prisons, has seen its revenue climb by more than 500 percent in the last two decades.

And CCA wants to get much, much bigger: Last year, the company made an offer to 48 governors to buy and operate their state-funded prisons. But what made CCA's pitch to those governors so audacious and shocking was that it included a so-called occupancy requirement, a clause demanding the state keep those newly privatized prisons at least 90 percent full at all times, regardless of whether crime was rising or falling.

The occupancy requirement is when the government agrees to keep the prisons full to 90% or better regardless of whether or not crime is rising or falling. This is similar to the Gulag system under the Soviet Union in which police organs had to meet quotas or be punished.

What they did to meet their quotas was go about rounding up all the Christians, for example, and tossing them into the Gulag prison system for ten year sentences, sometimes after torturing them to the point of confessing crimes they never committed, where most were worked to death.

Now the U.S. government is eyeing a modified version for American citizens. They call it Occupancy Requirements.

This Is How Private Prison Companies Make Millions Even When Crime Rates Fall | Mother Jones

http://rt.com/usa/private-prison-lockup-quota-108/

Prison Quotas Push Lawmakers To Fill Beds, Derail Reform

When sweeping new denials of liberty finally are implemented (e.g. the trans-pacific partnership, etc...), the government will view these new laws as an excellent opportunity to meet their contractual occupancy requirements.

Authoritarianism and persecution madness are en route friends. I am sorry but it was American voters who voted in the very politicians that are going to implement both.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

As state governments wrestle with massive budget shortfalls, a Wall Street giant is offering a solution: cash in exchange for state property. Prisons, to be exact.

Corrections Corporation of America, the nation's largest operator of for-profit prisons, has sent letters recently to 48 states offering to buy up their prisons as a remedy for "challenging corrections budgets." In exchange, the company is asking for a 20-year management contract, plus an assurance that the prison would remain at least 90 percent full.

If crime is down and people are behaving well, they still will need to fill up those prison cells. That means they have to put cases on innocent people and streamline the judicial process to get those innocent people in the prison cells.

Here's the letter: http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/ccaletter.pdf

Private Prison Corporation Offers Cash In Exchange For State Prisons

"It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Shakyra Diaz, policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. "In order to have it at 90 percent, you need to be able to make criminals to fill it at 90 percent."

In order to make those criminals out of non-criminals, you'll have to pull their Bill of Rights something that is already rapidly occurring under Bush and Obama. The Democrats now lead the way in undermining our Constitutional liberties. How do you feel about living in a privately run prison cell to meet your government's contractual quota requirement because you exercised your freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc...?

 

[Angela53510]

I just read in another forum here of someone getting sent to jail for "shooting a mail box."

I had to wonder if this is not a result of this corporate adventure into the world of prisons. Just shocking! And what happens if crime does go down. I guess I will not be holidaying in the US in the future!

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

They have a cell open for you if you decide to visit. The government is contractually obligated to keep the prison cells full at a 90% occupancy rate with warm bodies. Any warm body will do... foreign or domestic.

I just read in another forum here of someone getting sent to jail for "shooting a mail box."

I had to wonder if this is not a result of this corporate adventure into the world of prisons. Just shocking! And what happens if crime does go down. I guess I will not be holidaying in the US in the future!

 

[ServantStrike]

So that's why they favor lots of prison sentences for petty crimes and don't prosecute hardened criminals. They need to keep the prisons full...

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

It's called a prison industrial complex. Prison–industrial complex - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So that's why they favor lots of prison sentences for petty crimes and don't prosecute hardened criminals. They need to keep the prisons full...

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

[video=youtube_share;RCHNgWysmNc]http://youtu.be/RCHNgWysmNc[/video]

 

[CCmarie05]

My mom and brother both work in two of ohio's prisons. M mm was forced to go over as a correctional officer because the state sold the kitchen to a private company. They did this in all of the prisons in the state. They are feeding them less food than what the state did. The last time this happened in ohio (same private company) one of the biggest institutions rioted over being served what they were, which resulted in people getting hurt and the company's contract was cancelled. I wonder what made them decide it was a good idea to bring the same company back....other than greed.

 

[Donkeyfish07]

It's a growing problem.....and they also charge ridiculous amounts of money for a local call on the prison payphones for people that want to talk to their family.....they squeeze every nickel they can out of the prisoners

 

[Drett]

It's a growing problem.....and they also charge ridiculous amounts of money for a local call on the prison payphones for people that want to talk to their family.....they squeeze every nickel they can out of the prisoners

On reflection, I don't mind this. It may instill into a criminal what it feels like to be a victim of a criminal act. Also a way for the criminal to contribute to their incarceration.

 

[PoxEclipse]

With respect...

On reflection, I don't mind this. It may instill into a criminal what it feels like to be a victim of a criminal act. Also a way for the criminal to contribute to their incarceration.

Forgive me for this rebuttal, however, it's often the parents, or the wife/husband of the inmate who are forced to pay these charges.

If one were to take into an account, a mother with several children, who, with her husband working, is barely making ends meet, then take into account that the husband was jailed unjustly, as some prisoners are, now you have an extra financial burden placed on non-guilty individuals for the convenience of speaking to a loved one daily as visiting hours are often limited to certain days. Depending on the facility and distance, I have heard reports of visitations being held only once per month.

Consider also the concept of victimless crime.

https://www.facebook.com/PoliceStateUSA

This is but one story...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...94685.165801456790697&type=1&relevant_count=1

MASSACHUSETTS -- In one of the largest frauds in Massachusetts history, a state crime lab analyst used her position of analyzing chemical evidence to intentionally forge results in order to get convictions for prosecutors with whom she had friendly ties, and to satisfy her drive to imprison drug offenders. After years of tampering with evidence her actions may have tainted more than 40,000 drug samples, involving thousands of defendants.

Annie Dookhan, a 35-year-old chemist employed by the State of Massachusetts, was known for her ability to process drug samples confiscated from suspects at triple the speed of her colleagues. Her work at the state crime lab in the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain was regarded highly by prosecutors who could count on her to produce the results they needed to achieve convictions.

In reality she had spent years abusing her position and corrupting justice for her own amusement. She had affirmed the presence of drugs in samples that she had not bothered to test. She had forged signatures, tampered with evidence, and lied in court about her credentials to enhance her standing as an expert witness.

“Innocent persons were incarcerated. Guilty persons have been released to further endanger the public… the integrity of the criminal justice system has been shaken to the core.” — Justice Ball

 

[Donkeyfish07]

On reflection, I don't mind this. It may instill into a criminal what it feels like to be a victim of a criminal act. Also a way for the criminal to contribute to their incarceration.

I could understand that perspective, but it really hurts the people that love them on the outside.....the prisoners themselves don't pay for the calls. Someone on the outside always does. 5 dollars for a ten minute call if someone wants to talk to their loved one that's locked up. How do things like that work in your country Drett?

 

[Drett]

I could understand that perspective, but it really hurts the people that love them on the outside.....the prisoners themselves don't pay for the calls. Someone on the outside always does. 5 dollars for a ten minute call if someone wants to talk to their loved one that's locked up. How do things like that work in your country Drett?

Yes you and PoxEclipse make a good point. There are innocent parties involved. You guys are both into non standard creatures which is interesting,

 

[isaria]

Have heard also of breeding prisoners in jail whom may be raped for the sperm they do not want to give.
Imagine a stalliona locked up "no no... he may say i do not want breed with that nasty mama but imprisoned a group of unprofessional breeders rape him and dominate him and his sperm.
Much money involved.


Or a popular fellow raped and tied up and how much organised crime occurs within planment such as medications and organ donations from whom .


Using drugs and medication to control prisoners and maybe help rape them.


Or where 1% of body to survive in and others thriving stealing 99% shares what aint theres.
But when this duda getz back who is then that be 100% all miiiine the say.


Isolating communications can be very violating human rights and right to social inclusion and if all surrounding may be wronging thy one should have right reach out try find better people.


To much torture going on.
Understand the sadists and understand it no fun for them if those they torture are "in on it" its just not same thrill for them but still..... it rediculous how many tortured and also same people. "the gimps".
Maybe they have no friends and they put masks on them and tie them up make them feel horrid.
It is against law keeps gimps that say no i am not gimp but so many people and alone as wonderful self defence ne may be if one drugged and so forth they may put mask on one but they developed a new type mask can not be seen as mask but feels like one .


Oh Dear God set us free from such.

Blessed be and pray for those imprisonment and those work with this.
For you know best the circumstances and what be needed...

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

About 2.4 million people live behind bars in America — the highest number in the world. That's a little more than 0.7% of the population and more than 700 for every 100,000 people.

World Map Of Incarceration Rates - Business Insider

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

I'm all for locking up real criminals and dangerous people. Society must be made safe. However, we've got an over criminalization problem in this country where too many people who are not dangerous to others or a threat to the property of others are in prison.

"The tremendous increase in incarceration in the U.S. does not reflect the fact that the country has become substantially more criminal or violent over this time. The true explanation has more to do with politics and policy. Since the 1970s, Congress and state legislatures have enacted a number of changes to prison and sentencing laws that have mandated prison time for lesser offenses and ensured longer sentences for violent crimes and repeat offenders."

The report: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18613

News story on the report: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...precedented-rise-of-incarceration-in-america/

"After decades of stability from the 1920s to the early 1970s, the rate of imprisonment in the United States more than quadrupled during the last four decades. The U.S. penal population of 2.2 million adults is by far the largest in the world. Just under one-quarter of the world's prisoners are held in American prisons. The U.S. rate of incarceration, with nearly 1 out of every 100 adults in prison or jail, is 5 to 10 times higher than the rates in Western Europe and other democracies. The U.S. prison population is largely drawn from the most disadvantaged part of the nation's population: mostly men under age 40, disproportionately minority, and poorly educated. Prisoners often carry additional deficits of drug and alcohol addictions, mental and physical illnesses, and lack of work preparation or experience. The growth of incarceration in the United States during four decades has prompted numerous critiques and a growing body of scientific knowledge about what prompted the rise and what its consequences have been for the people imprisoned, their families and communities, and for U.S. society.

The Growth of Incarceration in the United States examines research and analysis of the dramatic rise of incarceration rates and its affects. This study makes the case that the United States has gone far past the point where the numbers of people in prison can be justified by social benefits and has reached a level where these high rates of incarceration themselves constitute a source of injustice and social harm.

The Growth of Incarceration in the United States recommends changes in sentencing policy, prison policy, and social policy to reduce the nation's reliance on incarceration. The report also identifies important research questions that must be answered to provide a firmer basis for policy. The study assesses the evidence and its implications for public policy to inform an extensive and thoughtful public debate about and reconsideration of policies."

And yes it's very expensive to incarcerate people:

 

[Drett]

At some point the government will realize that it would be cheaper and better on their citizens to run it themselves. The more incompetent the government, the longer that decision will take.

 

[ThomistColin]

Yes you and PoxEclipse make a good point. There are innocent parties involved. You guys are both into non standard creatures which is interesting,

We must not support any mental, economic, or physical harm done to those in prison. In fact, we are called to visit them and show them mercy. A murderer, thief, drug dealer, or any form of criminal is still a living human being who is beloved by God. They are our brothers and sisters. They are the least and the most vulnerable in society,since society despises them. They deserve their time in prison, but we must still show compassion.

 

[Donkeyfish07]

So that's why they favor lots of prison sentences for petty crimes and don't prosecute hardened criminals. They need to keep the prisons full...

I read somewhere that some 90+% (I think it was 94 or 95 % specifically) of people convicted of felonies plead guilty. The motivation for pleading guilty isn't always because a person actually committed a crime. Lawyers and a good defense cost money. If you arrest a low income person on fabricated or unreasonable charges, the cops always put the pressure on. Well if you plead guilty, you'll only get 4 years.....but if you try to fight this, you will lose and we will put you in there for 10-20.

People that do not have the money to defend themselves will plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit because they don't believe there is any justice in the court system. You don't get a good defense or a fair trial in this country without alot of money, and that's sad

 

[Oncefallen]

Although I agree that commercial prisons and contracted occupancy rates can create a situation where the system feels pressured to keep incarceration rates high, the concept of commercial prisons met a very real need at their beginnings. During the 80's and 90's many sentencing guidelines were changed at the legislative level removing the judiciary's prior discretion in sentencing. Likewise along with mandatory minimums in sentencing laws such as Three Strike's Your Out which give extremely long sentences to three time felons, and zero tolerance laws for drug offenders our prison populations soared at a rate that states could not afford to build new prison space quickly enough to keep up with the demand.

Simply put, legislators wanting to give the appearance of being hard on crime made some serious errors that cost the taxpayers a boat load of cash. I have no issue with the idea of extremely long sentences for career violent offenders, but some people get hung on the three strikes laws when their third felony was a DUI and end up locked away for 20 years. Zero tolerance on drug sentencing resulted in a boat load of addicts and small time dealers being locked away while the big dealers and cartels that those laws were intended for are relatively unaffected.

Along come the incarceration corporations to fill a public need but of course they are going to demand a contractual minimum occupancy in order to insure their profitability but those contracts typically do not require the beds to be filled, just that they get paid as if the beds are filled.