Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

Criminal Law

: The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

AZ: Public vs. Private prisons in economy budget

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

Legislators want private firms to run prisons By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services PublishedMay 20, 2009 - 02:15:48 am MST PHOENIX ? Republican legislative leaders are crafting a plan to farm out operation of three state prisons to private companies as a method of balancing the budget. Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said he believes companies would pay the state at least $100 million in up-front cash for the right to operate the prisons. That would help lawmakers deal with an anticipated $3.3 billion deficit this coming year. And Kavanagh, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said the annual savings to the state for operating these three facilities could be $40 million. At this point, lawmakers are looking at the state prison in Yuma which now houses about 2,300 inmates, the Perryville facility which has more than 4,000 beds, and the Eyeman unit of the state prison complex in Florence which at last count had close to 5,000 inmates...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on June 16, 2009 (boomark / email).