The prison industry

Abstract

The text deals with the prison industry in the United States, starting from the example of Bowling Green, Missouri, which competed with other cities for the construction of new state prisons. The exposition shows how punishment has become the leading industry in rural growth and how private interests, prison management companies, contractors and bond underwriters proliferate with the unprecedented growth of the American prison population. The investigation analyses private prisons, the Corrections Corporation of America, specialised services and the threat the prison industry poses to democracy. The conclusion points out that, with profit-driven interests, many people will be locked up and opportunities for crime reduction are lost.