prisons

For-Profit Prisons Could See Boost With Trump’s Executive Order To Open New Detention Centers

For-Profit Prisons Could See Boost With Trump’s Executive Order To Open New Detention Centers

While much of today’s news about President Trump’s latest executive order is the directive to build his often-promised wall along the border between Mexico and the U.S., the order also directs the federal government to get to work immediately on building — or contracting out — detention centers along that border, providing a potential boon to the for-profit prison industry. [More]

guidedbycthulu

Justice Department To Phase Out Use Of Private Prisons

Around 15% of the nearly 200,000 inmates in federal custody are housed in privately operated prisons that have come under fire for allegations of poor treatment of prisoners and less stringent security measures — all at a yearly price tag to taxpayers of $639 million. Today, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates announced plans to phase out the Justice Department’s use of private facilities over the coming years. [More]

Prisoners Have Opinions Too, Turn To Yelp To Review Jail Conditions

Prisoners Have Opinions Too, Turn To Yelp To Review Jail Conditions

Just because you’re locked up for dealing blue meth cooked up by a mysterious chemist in a pork-pie hat doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion on the quality of your current accommodations. And where else better to share these sentiments than on Yelp? [More]

Michigan Inmate Sues Because He's Denied Porn

Michigan Inmate Sues Because He's Denied Porn

A 21-year-old Michigan inmate has filed a lawsuit that contends he’s been stripped of civil rights because he isn’t allowed to look at porn, claiming his lack of access to the material gives him a “poor standard of living” and “sexual and sensory deprivation.” [More]

Prisons Get Big Kickbacks For Phone Contracts, Prisoners' Families Pay The Price

Prisons Get Big Kickbacks For Phone Contracts, Prisoners' Families Pay The Price

A investigation by Prison Legal News exposes how prisons are getting fat kickbacks from telephone companies in order to land exclusive service contracts, which they then use to charge sky-high calling rates. There’s usually a connection charge of $3.00 or more and it can cost upwards of $.89 a minute. That means a 15-minute collect call can end up costing $10-$17. Compare that to the $.05 or $.10 most customers pay. Because the calls are often collect, it’s the prisoners’ families that end up paying the price. [More]