Does the American government or states make money off of incarcerated individuals?

Question

Im not exactly sure how its set up there but is someone making money off every incarcerated prisoner.
And if so isnt it suspicious that america has much more of its population incarcerated vs. other developed nations?

maybe freedom does pay after all.. depends on the flip of the coin

Answer 1

In actuality, it is costing taxpayers (via the federal and state governments) to keep inmates incarcerated. The only ones making a profit off of this are private companies and contractors who operate some prisons with little gov't oversight.

The main reasons behind such a high rate of incarceration here in the US is due to the failing War on Drugs (tm) and heavy-handed sentencing mandates defined by state legislatures which have taken away the ability of judges' to use their own discretion in criminal cases.

Answer 2

Well it costs an average of $22,000 tax payer dollars to keep a prisoner for one year. This funds a ton of jobs from security personnel to construction. Mostly, the financial beneficiaries are the ones directly employed in the industry, but there are probably some privately contracted business owners making a profit, too.

Answer 3

The prison-industrial complex is a big part of American capitalism, just like in China.

Answer 4

No we just pay a ton of money to keep people incarcerated for years. And sometimes we even let people out early to try and save a little money or because of over crowding.

Answer 5

Someone's making money, but it's not the "government". Prisons costs a ****load of money to build and maintain, that's coming directly out of our taxes. As usual, the politicians and bureacrats are fleecing the American public.

Answer 6

the American Government makes no money like this. But PRIVATE COMPANIES sure do. The Prison-Industrial Complex for profit is one of the fastest growing segments of the US economy

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/199812/prisons

Answer 7

Unlike many countries in the Middle East we prefer to incarcerate than stone to death.

Answer 8

Of course prisons make money. Prisoners work in manufacturing and are paid very little in terms of wages.

Answer 9

Of course they do.

Which is why most of the prisons (with the exception of local jails) have been sold to private entites.

Answer 10

Here is a county jail that is making money off of other counties.

http://www.middletownusa.com/view_news.asp?a=2420