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Alabama NewsAlabama Politics
Alabama Should Privatize Their Prisons
By Gary Palmer
Posted on: November 30, 2006
Can the use of private prisons save money and relieve the overcrowding in Alabama’s jails? A new report from the Alabama Policy Institute finds that private prison contracting is a policy that can save money and relieve the persistent overcrowding of our state’s jails.
The primary function of government is to protect the lives, liberty and property of its citizens. Public safety depends on a reliable and effective criminal justice system, and central to the administration of justice is a humane, secure and efficient correction system.
Because of financial constraints and years of mismanagement, Alabama’s corrections system is operating at nearly 200 percent capacity. Many of Alabama’s prisons are outdated and more often than not one officer has to supervise a prison dorm of 250 to 300 inmates.
Gov. Riley has promised to reform Alabama’s prison system over the next four years. Alabama Dept. of Corrections Commissioner Richard Allen has done a remarkable job in asking the right questions regarding what can be done to address the problem of prison overcrowding, corrections staff shortages, aging facilities and cost effective solutions for inmate health care. There are great opportunities to reduce prison overcrowding and save tax money with private contracting.
The traditional corrections model based on government-run prisons is having difficulty keeping up with the growing needs of public safety. A thoughtful, well-planned privatization program would expand options for state lawmakers, enhance public safety and put the benefits of competition to work for taxpayers.
The study What to Do about the Prison Problem: The Pros and Cons of Privatized Prisons in Alabama, by Dr. Kirk A. Johnson, examines the possibilities of private prison construction that would create more prisoner bed space faster, thereby reliving overcrowding. Johnson projects that privately constructed prisons can be completed in half the time, with costs savings to taxpayers ranging from between 15 and 25 percent.
Alabama’s 30 correctional and work release facilities are at double their capacities as originally built. Numerous states have contracted out prison construction and management. All four states bordering Alabama have contracted with one or more private companies for prison services.
Key Findings
Johnson reviews the cost/benefit analysis of private prisons versus public prisons and provides substantive answers to the common arguments against private prisons.
Opponents of contracting out prison services say prisons can only save money by cutting the wages of guards and staff. States where private prisons are managing prisons show that private companies reduce costs with cutting employee wages or benefits.
Further benefits include lower administrative cost. Freed from cumbersome bureaucratic regulations, private prisons often spend up to one-third less on administrative costs.
Private construction would create more prisoner bed space faster, thereby relieving overcrowding. Private construction could replace many aging facilities in Alabama with more efficient, state-of-the-art prisons. As Alabama’s prison population grows by about 100 new inmates a month, Johnson affirms that private prisons construction could be constructed in phases, to account for growth over time.
Legislative Action
Johnson notes, “A private solution should be seriously considered as the legislature takes up the issue (prison reform) in earnest.” API’s Legislative Agenda recommends a proposal that would begin the process of evaluating private prisons and their management. Alabama law can be amended to authorize a pilot program allowing for the contracting out of state prison services to a private company.
Following successful completion of the pilot program, competitive contracting could be used to expand competition throughout the state and county corrections system. The ultimate goal is to reduce costs.
By tapping into the competitive advantages of private prison management, state and local governments can provide safe incarceration of convicted prisoners without raising taxes. Governments around the globe have been hiring private companies to manage prison populations for decades now. Both companies and governments have acquired the expertise necessary to negotiate and manage contracts for savings to taxpayers.
Because of these advantages, private prison contracting is a policy that Alabama should pursue.
The study, What to Do about the Prison Problem: The Pros and Cons of Privatized Prisons in Alabama, can be found on API’s website at www.alabamapolicy.org/PDFs/Prison.pdf.
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