Who Benefits from Private Prisons?

Finally getting around to linking up an NPR story I previously just tweeted.  Following on the heels of some recent reports of the political influence and financial motivations of the private prison industry from the likes of the ACLU and Justice Policy Institute, among others, NPR looked into the beneficiaries of private prisons.

Their findings may shock you:

• Private prison companies take in billions in revenue from taxpayer dollars
• Private prison companies don't share cost-savings with those taxpayers, so the amount they save by cutting on staff, security, etc. becomes profit (read: "corporate welfare") for the companies
• Claims of economic benefits by the industry are dubious at best
• Prisoners face higher risks of assaults and violence inside private prisons.

OK I lied.  None of this is shocking in the least.