this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2025
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It's (theoretically) cheaper to run, because every private company is totally more efficient than a government agency and therefore better (this idea is absolutely idiotic, but people believe it). Additionally, it often is cheaper because the quality of care is so inhumanely low, and, again, the prisoners are used as slaves.
But even if it's not, it gets politicians funds for re-election as well as other benefits, so whether or not it's good deal for the government is irrelevant.
It also creates a middleman. Nobody can blame the state for treating prisoners/slaves like shit, "No no it was them doing the horrible things!" so the politicians don't take any blame.
Same deal with other government contractors. And if one fucks up too bad it just gets resolved/renamed and then it's business as usual.
It depends a bit on the country and type of business.
But yeah private companies can be cheaper and more efficient because the people in charge actually benefit from it. There is often less shit to deal with in the form of bureaucracy.
On the other hand (and this is generally where angelosaxton business culture takes over), this does push for more and more profit since people always want more every year. Everybody likes their yearly wage increase.
In the case of prisons in the US there is a twofold issue, on one hand it’s privatised, but in the other hand there aren’t laws preventing people from doing this bullshit.