Too Good to be True: Private Prisons in America

Private prisons held over 128,000 prisoners in 2010, representing an 80 percent increase since 1999. This growth has been built on the claim that private prisons can operate at a lower cost than publicly operated facilities, while still providing the same levels of service. Private prison companies have failed to fulfill this promise, according to the new report, Too Good to be True: Private Prisons in America.

30 states and the federal government had some level of prison privatization in 2010. The amount of privately held state prisoners increased by 40 percent between 1999 and 2010, while the number of federal inmates held privately increased by 784 percent. In contrast, the total prison population experienced a 17 percent increase during this period. Private prison companies, such as Corrections Corporation of America and GEO Group, Inc. spend millions of dollars each year in lobbying and campaign contributions to continue this trend.