7. Private Prisons and Profit Motives
The 1980s saw the rise of private, for-profit prison companies, fundamentally altering America’s approach to incarceration. With profit tied directly to the number of inmates, these corporations had a vested interest in maintaining and expanding prison populations. Financial incentives often overshadowed rehabilitation or public safety, fueling policies that kept more people behind bars. For an in-depth look at the economics and consequences of private prisons, see The Atlantic.
