TheCCA360.com is a Web site intended to provide factual information about Corrections Corporation of America – from its quality private prison management services and programs, to its more than 17,000 employees that support the 66 facilities it operates.
Read first hand here stories and views shared by CCA employees and other citizens on the company and its impact in our communities.
It’s difficult to separate the facts from the reported myths about private prisons and CCA, especially if you follow some news accounts that rely on sources who are politically or professionally biased against the overall privatization of our nation’s prisons.
TheCCA360.com disputes the most common reported myths here.
360 TAKES
An Expert's Perspective on Privatization
Posted Jan 13, 2009
A columnist with The Tallahassee Democrat asserted in a commentary on Jan. 12, 2009, that correctional privatization remains a contentious issue for many. In the piece, Bill Cotterell argues that public-private partnership in corrections is a failure rather than a symbiotic success. Based on his interpretation of a recent report by the Florida Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability, Cotterell perpetuates many of the continuously dispelled myths of private corrections on quality and accountability.
But in a strong rebuttal, nationally respected correctional expert Laura Bedard, Ph.D., who serves as assistant warden of programs at CCA's Gadsden Correctional Facility, minces few words in countering Cotterell's "analysis."
My mother always warned me not to argue with a person who buys their ink by the barrel, but just this one time, I will not heed her advice. Mr. Cotterell – you've got it all wrong. Privatization of prisons does work and I am uniquely qualified to know.
I served as a volunteer in both state and private facilities, as a Correctional Privatization Commissioner, as Deputy Secretary for Florida DOC, as a warden for a state-run women's prison, and now I work for the largest private prison provider in the country. I have experienced the good and bad of both private prisons and state-run facilities. I can say I am the only person in the state of Florida with both an inside and outside perspective of the prison system.
I have long said the issue with private prisons is that DOC wants them to be "mini-me's." Privatization should serve a niche population. We should, and do, provide comprehensive programs for offenders in our system. Our goal is to reduce recidivism. Our private facility currently provides numerous programs for inmates – these programs are contractually mandated and overseen.
Unfortunately, due to cuts in the state department of corrections budget, there are hardly any rehabilitative programs left. As Deputy Secretary, I saw empty vocational bays, teachers lose their jobs and programs go by the wayside. The Department of Corrections continues to suffer from budget cuts – these cuts almost always taken from inmate programs and services.
The concerns you address, Mr. Cotterell, are not unique to private prisons. State facilities have contraband violations, state facilities have security issues, state facilities have medical issues, and state facilities have staffing issues. These concerns are inherent to the business, not unique to private prisons.
You cite the OPPAGA report recently written and I have to wonder if you really read it or just seized the opportunity to slam a system about which you know little. Next time, feel free to call me, or better yet, come and see for yourself the program rich environment of the private prisons.
Comments
Ms. Bedard is 100% correct. I have worked for both the state of FL and CCA in the corrections industry. The problems we had at the state and the problems we have at CCA are identical. The biggest exception is that the state requires us to have more staff, more programs, and to actually follow every rule and guideline the FL DOC has on the books. After working for the state for many years I know first hand that not all rules are followed or enforced. However the state has a contract monitor at every facility that we run to ensure that we follow all rules and guidelines as set forth in chapter 33 as well as the add ons that are requirements in our contracts. To sum it all up look at the number of escapes from state facilities and compare them with ours.
- Posted by "F. Perry" (July 24, 2009 01:57AM)