Prison privatization not without consequences

Mogollon
Connection
Editorial


By Matt Brabb
Editor

(Pick up your free copy of the Mogollon Connection each week, and thanks for supporting truthful journalism.)

The debate about whether states should farm out correctional facilities to private companies has become a contentious issue following the escape of three convicted murderers from a private prison in Golden Valley.

One of the three, Daniel Renwick, was captured after exchanging gunfire with police in Rifle, Colo. At the time of going to press, Tracy Province and John McCluskey were still at large, and believed to be in Arizona.

We believe it is time to re-think the wisdom behind using private corporations to house the state’s prison population, particularly for those serving sentences for violent crime. Apparently, the escapees from Golden Valley were able to free themselves by cutting a hole in the prison's perimeter fence. Let that sink in a minute; the state is housing convicted murderers behind fences that apparently aren’t that difficult to cut holes in.

Charles Ryan, director of the Arizona Department of Corrections said, "We have great concerns that there was laxness on the part of security staff at this private prison, but I'm going to allow the investigation to run its course."

The escape at the prison in Golden Valley came on the heels of another incident at a private prison in Eloy, in which a prison staff member was severely beaten during a riot that started over a video game.

It will be tempting, especially at a time when the state legislature is wrestling with a massive budget shortfall, to continue to farm out prisons to private companies.

The argument usually made in favor of prison privatization revolves around efficiency. When a government undertaking is privatized, it is usually done with the hope that quality can be improved at the same cost, or that conversely, costs can be decreased without losing quality.

Advocates for privatization usually claim that private prisons will cost taxpayers less and have the added benefit of forcing state-run prisons to operate more efficiently. They argue that the state-run facilities have to run more efficiently to compete with private companies to retain their funding.

That may be true, but are prisons really where we want to be cutting corners? After the events of last week, the argument can certainly be made that we’ve become a little too “efficient”.

Gila County residents need to think about the merits of privatization, as the town of Globe looks strongly into bringing a private prison into the community. Once a town becomes a prison town, it’s a tough label to shake, and as we’ve seen, it doesn’t come without risk.