Nation’s First Privately Owned State Prison Riddled With Violations Of State Law

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/09/971431/nations-first-privately-owned-state-prison-riddled-with-violations-of-state-law/

By Aviva Shen posted from ThinkProgress Justice on Oct 9, 2012

An Ohio prison owned by Corrections Corporation of America, one of the largest private prison companies in the US, has failed to meet state standards in food quality, sanitation, hygiene, and many other areas, according to a recently concluded audit. In total, the CCA prison had 47 violations.

CityBeat details the abysmal conditions at the Ohio facility, the first privately owned state prison in the country:

The local fire plan had no specific steps to release inmates from locked areas in case of emergency, and local employees said “they had no idea what they should do” in case of a fire emergency.

The audit also found all housing units provided less than the required 25 square feet on unencumbered space per occupant. It found single watch cells held two prisoners with some sleeping on the floor, and some triple-bunked cells had a third inmate sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

..... infirmary patients were “not seen timely,” patients’ doctor appointments were often delayed with follow-ups rarely occurring, .....

Despite the many abuses discovered at private prisons all over the country, CCA and other industry giants have greatly benefited from cash-strapped states’ attempts to save money. However, recent studies show that private prisons actually cost more than state-owned ones. Undeterred, CCA has started offering states millions to buy state facilities like the Ohio prison. Ohio sold the prison to CCA last year to help balance the state’s 2012-2013 budget, and CCA recently offered to buy another one in exchange for the state’s guarantee of 90% occupancy for 20 or 30 years.