Privatised prisons can reduce costs despite secrecy

NAIROBI, KENYA: With increasing crime rates and rising population in prisons, governments in developed countries have been forced to outsource management and control of correctional facilities.

Private correctional facilities have been in existence in US, Britain and Australia among other western nations to complement government funded prison systems.

The system was introduced in the US in 1980s as Ronald Reagan's government moved to reduce operational costs by outsourcing management of correctional facilities to private firms. In 2012, 137,220 prisoners were housed in private correctional facilities out of a prison population of 1.57 million.

Studies on private correctional facilities in the US and Britain have shown the facilities are better equipped and well managed compared to government controlled ones.

In US, two companies: Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and GEO Group are two leading faculties providing the bulk of services in private prisons. According to USASpending.gov website, as of December 19, 2013, CCA and GEO were awarded at least $5.2 billion in federal contracts since 2007. The companies receive money for each prisoner as maintenance costs and are also free to use the prisons in commercial viable projects.

Supporters of private prisons have argued that the system helps the Government reduce its operation cost by 10-15 per cent and provides quality services.

However, human rights activists and critics have slammed the system for perpetrating secrecy and wanting of oversight from government despite the facilities receiving financial support from State. Data from the US's Bureau of Justice statistics indicates that State spending in support of private prisons skyrocketed as numbers of facilities and inmates increased.

Critics have also argued that the State cannot abdicate its responsibility of managing the facilities by privatisation, arguing that the use of detention and deprivation of liberty lie exclusively within its jurisdiction.