by Melinda L.

Created on: January 23, 2008

Prisons in general are not the happiest of all places to probably work, or be sitting in because of any crime. Either a public or private-runned prison will still implement similar rules, regulalations and standards as each state's government will allow. The question is how to maintain the prisons so that those who are institutionalized in there will receive their so-called "punishment" they deserve for the crime they have done, while obtaining the opportunity to rebuild themselves mentally and emotionally through these prisons.

It is true that with many of the public prisons, the physical conditions themselves tend to be poor with very little sign on the maintenance on light fixtures, to functional cell toilets or sinks. But, many governments do try their best to disperse funds to prisons to keep them fully functional and "liveable" by inmates and workable by prison employees as well. Public prisons seem to be doing the job right now, by keeping criminals out of society and helping them train themselves from their mistakes to have a chance at returning into society in the future.

If privatized prisons were to exist, it will be guaranteed that they will follow a set of standards. But the level of strict security, adequate balance diets in daily meals served to prisoners, educational programs, and other programs can be practiced differently than public prisons, as the state may only be able to regulate limitedly. Plus, with privatized prisons, costs would be higher as well. The privatized institutions will determine the cost of housing an inmate and that could cost any state millions of dollars. There will also be issues with how an inmate will be transferred once the prisoner is guilty of their crime.

On the positive note, private prisons will offer some relief to the state with overcramming prisons alike in California prisons. Perhaps prisoners with smaller crimes like grand theft auto, can be moved to the private prisons and the major offenders can be transferred as well, depending on the state's prison capacity at the time.

There really is not a fixed answer of whether having a privatized prison will be beneficial to the current prison layout, but it would for certain assist with the overcramming of the prisons. But besides that fact, it might just not be necessary.

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