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Comment by praxeologist

The real problem here is government and not "private" (corporatist) prisons who would only exist as they are because gov't enabling.

Were we to abolish gov't and it's geographic monopolies on law and policing, then truly private prisons would both be way less common and nothing at all like what's talked about in the article.

Some of the statistics on crime are outdated but Benson's The Enterprise of Law is a great book to look at understanding the problem here.

Conditions were so terrible before the move for privatization in federal prisons (sometime in the 70's). With a move back toward that system (which would never happen because more politicians' and bureaucrats' pockets are being lined) you might not have quotas and the push for continued prohibition from this one little angle, but gov't is not a business[0], so the comparison to private hospitals or electric companies is faulty.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqoBZLSm1WA

parent praxeologist 11 years ago

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