Criminal Justice and Prisons Essay

America's private prison system has led to drastic changes in the criminal justice system. Beginning in the early 1980's profiting from running prisons first started with the Corrections Corporation of America. They pictured inmates like selling real estate, hamburgers, and cars (Aviram, 2015). While corporate-run prisons only account for eight percent of the American inmate population, it has generated a significant change in how criminals are prosecuted and handled in the criminal justice system. It all began with the founder of the world's first private prison company, Corrections Corporation of America.

Founders T. Don Hutto and Thomas Beasley introduce Corrections Corporation of America in 1983. A year later the company operated a Tennessee-based juvenile detention center and county jail. CCA then opens a Houston-based privately owned facility that held immigration detainees. In 1985 CCA tried a $250 million offer to lease Tennessee's entire prison system for 99 years. They were unsuccessful. CCA decided to go public in 1986 and with this decision came the inclusion of electronic surveillance and less staff needed to operate larger prisons.

Federal immigration detention centers also sprung up with GEO Group, formerly known as Wackenhut Corrections Corporation being one of the first to begin such practices. With the introduction of private prisons and detention centers also came changes in government legislation. The 1990's brought the three-strikes and truth-in-sentencing legislation that increased the number of prisoners sent to prison. The changes in legislation came from CCA even if they did not comment or vote on such legislation. Later, CCA expanded and gained a new affiliate (Prison Realty Trust) that enabled the raising of $447 million, used to buy more prisons (Aviram, 2015).

There is clear spike in number of prisoners in 1990 versus in 2014. From 676,466 to 1,259,768 (BJS, 2016). While private prisons make up only a small percentage of the prisons holding inmates, their influence over the criminal justice system has led to changes in legislation that had led to a trend favoring the imprisonment of more people. CCA being the main force behind such changes.

CCA did not always have such success. After a while, in 2000, as the prison occupancy rates decline, CCA stock plummeted. This forced them to drop the Prison Realty Trust as well as restructure. Private prisons not only were often understaffed, but also underreported violent incidents, and had poorly trained personnel operating the facilities (Aviram, 2015). Aside from CCA and GEO changing legislation, they also opposed bills that would hold them responsible for certain rights ordinarily granted to prisoners in public prisons.

Not only have private prisons increased, along with changes in legislation to court rulings, but immigration laws…