A growing number of American prisons are now contracted out as for-profit businesses to for-
profit companies. These companies are paid by the state, and their profit depends on spending as
little as possible on the prisoners and the prisons. How, then, according to Perkinson, do for-profit
prisons contribute to the epidemic of imprisonment we see in Texas? What kinds of problems are
typically associated with for-profit prisons, and why is Perkinson so leery of them? Given these
concerns, do you think that for-profit prisons can promote public safety and save tax dollars while
simultaneously focusing on making a profit? Why or why not? Explain your answer.
