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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Trib: Are Private Prisons Good Deal?

If the Board of Correction - and by extension, Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter's administration -- refuses to examine whether farming out prison management to profit-oriented firms is a good deal for Idahoans, then somebody else should. Why not the Legislature? Next year, the contract binding Idaho to Corrections Corporation of America expires and the state is free to find someone else to manage the Idaho Correctional Center outside Boise. CCA's business model - maximizing profits by scrimping on staffing levels - contributed to aggravated inmate on inmate violence. It led to a successful class-action lawsuit in which CCA agreed to change policy in order to address high levels of violence at the prison. Then another group of inmates filed suit alleging the understaffed prison maintained order by turning it over to gangs. Finally, CCA admitted it overbilled the state for staff hours never worked, an issue the Idaho State Police is probing/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Why do you think Gov. Butch Otter is ignoring this important question?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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