Imagine being trapped in prison surrounded by darkness while being underpaid,2 sentences being made longer, and no way out. You would likely be depressed right? Well this is what thousands of incarcerated people go through everyday. For-profit prisons are correctional facilities operated by third-party, private corporations under government contracts. In order for this system to work, keeping beds filled is a requirement. For profit prisons damage criminal justice reform efforts, underpay prisoners, and advertise big corporations all for the benefit of the profit. 

For-profit prisons prioritize money over fairness, and as a result damage criminal justice reform because they benefit financially from high incarceration rates. All over America, incarcerated people have been convicted for crimes they haven’t even committed, and the prisons just keep gaining more and more profit while the prisoners are just left to sit in a cell and rot. The AFL-CIO states, “Their business model depends on growing the correctional system for the sake of profit without regard to justice” (AFL-CIO, 3). This article argues that private prisons care more about money over fairness, and instead of focusing on justice these companies benefit when more people are incarcerated. The ethical purpose of the criminal justice system is to promote justice, protect society, uphold individual rights, and ensure that laws are applied fairly. Private prison companies have not been upholding these requirements and instead care more about their success as a facility rather than the treatment they provide to their inmates. For example the author believes that,“The wave of criticism against private prison companies has grown amidst revelations of poor security, lack of oversight, and perverse financial incentives to lock up more people.”(Brennan Center, Julia Bowling) The author implies that private prison companies think cutting costs is more valuable than maintaining safe and effective facilities, even though morally this is wrong for the inmates and their families. In the book Chain-Gang All-Stars, Simon Craft was in solitary confinement and while he was incarcerated in The CAPE program serving his sentence, readers see his character going through a lot mentally, as well as getting exploited for entertainment. Adjei-Brenyah writes, “Congratulations Craft. You made it to the century mark’, Officer Lawrence says like there’s a cake in his hand. ‘One hundred days of paradise.’…. There’s a bed and a shit tin. Dark in here most of the day. But they glow in my brain. The hole is black. I only see when the door opens. The door opens one time a day.” (165 Adjei-Brenyah) This is obviously more personal than the big picture, where this quote zooms in on the dehumanization of these facilities and the effects that they have on the inmates and the criminal justice system. The author doesn’t focus on what Simon did, but how they are treating him. Regardless of what he did Brenyah wants readers to understand that the crime should not define the incarcerated person. 

Another main factor contributing to the dangers of for-profit prisons are the underpayment of prisoners. Many of these facilities take advantage of their prisoners by simply not paying them for the services they get done, or just paying them too little. One facility got sued for doing exactly that, furthermore, “The state’s attorney general can move forward with a lawsuit against GEO Group for failing to pay immigration detainees minimum wage.” (Brennan Center.) Profit-driven prison corporations seek to reduce labor costs at the expense of detainees’ basic rights and needs by not paying them the very minimum wage. REITS are companies that own , operate , or finance income-producing real estate; they are “required to distribute at least 90 percent of taxable income as dividends for favorable tax benefits. This leaves them with little cash on hand to cover day-to-day operations, such as overhead costs at prisons and staff salaries”(Brennan Center) Private prison companies are more inclined to cut costs in areas like staffing, training, or inmate services in order for them to keep generating profit for their shareholders. The little care that these for-profit prisons have for the staff and incarcerated people are shown, as they place financial needs ahead of the interests and necessity of the individuals who are locked up in prison. Even when inmates do get provided a job, facilities don’t even have the capacity to accommodate the training that goes into it. Inmates can work in the kitchen, as janitors, furniture production, and way more. The AFL-CIO writes, “The jobs they do provide come with low pay and little training.”(AFL-CIO). Overall, the horrible payment for-profit prisons provide is equal to the horrible training which is negatively affecting the criminal justice system while also the well being and mental health of prisoners. 

Some believe that Private Prisons can reduce government spending, improve efficiency, and create operational innovations. In an Article Brookings.edu the author provides excuses of how for- profit prisons are actually saving money and are good for our government. “Some States and the federal government have chosen to contract with private companies, potentially saving money or increasing quality.”(Brookings 2). For profit prisons choose to make money off of incarcerated individuals instead of focusing on increasing the quality of what they are liable to do. Rehabilitate the criminals and allow them to improve morally after the crime they committed. The article later questions whether private prisons actually save money or improve rehabilitation outcomes. The author believes that private companies could in principle save costs relative to the public sector but, “Whether they do so in practice is a difficult question to test directly, however. Private prisons are unique in that, by contract, the types of prisoners that they are willing to accept are limited. ”(brookings, 4) this shift is when the author realizes that profit prisons actually withhold money from the incarcerated people so they would instead, be able to pay their share holders. Clearly even the author can note that these prisons take advantage of its prisoners and shouldn’t be held at such a high position. Adjei- Brenyah reveals that he also sees the two opposing sides when it comes to how prisoners should be treated and the profit these prisons make by exploiting inmates. At the meeting Forest realized that “There was a reason Tracy Lasser had done what she’d done. and he knew that there were reasons he was doing what he was doing too.  She believed punitive entertainment with rehabilitative potential was wrong, she believed in being soft murderers and a rapist. He believed justice couldn’t be pretty for everyone. He believed the law always got blood on its hands.” (Adjei-Brenyah 183) Here, Adjei-Brenyah recognizes that some people genuinely believe severe punishment is necessary to maintain order and protect the public. This demonstrates how he acknowledges the opposing view to make it more credible to readers, instead of continuously criticizing for- profit prisons. 

Lastly, for-profit prisons benefit a ton from advertising off big corporations. In the novel since the CAPE program is televised and streams broadcasted fights all over the world, Adjei-Brenyah illustrates how sponsorships with large corporations contribute towards the injustices going on within said facilities. Fans watch these fights for entertainment, meanwhile the businesses are making a significant amount of money from it. Adjei writes, “And now they get to see her on SportsViewNet central, America's number one sports program, or so it said on all the hoodies and sweatshirts she’d sent back home.”(108, Adjei-Brenyah)By selling hoodies and sweatshirts promoting these fights, these corporations profit from violence and imprisonment similarly to real sports events with famous athletes.  The article Systematic Justice argues that these companies have an incentive to support narratives that emphasize crime and punishment rather than rehabilitation or reform, which is supposedly the main goal. The article states, “ corporate law facilitates this exploitation by giving corporations a shared profit interest, which helps them to collectively perpetuate narratives of crime and punishment that keeps prison full and allow for the abuse of the people inside of them.”(systemicjustice.org) Readers can notice the parallel where this quote argues that corporations benefit from keeping prisons full, and the novel demonstrates companies profiting from this system that turns prisoners into entertainment products. Not only is the prison benefiting from inmates rotting in jail, but multiple businesses benefit financially when prisons remain full. In The Novel when the Links arrive at the fighting destination, Old Taperville, they have to complete their Civic Service obligations prior to fighting. The game masters give the Links very strict rules with extreme consequences if they don’t obey them; “Movement outside of that perimeter will result in immediate termination. You will also have access to the phone network of Link Market goods purchasable via BP.”(Adjei-Brenyah 265) The Game Masters intentionally dehumanize the Links for entertainment and profit which demonstrate the deeper understanding of how corporations use marketing, media, and entertainment to try and brainwash society to make them accept exploitation inside for-profit prison systems.

In Conclusion, for-profit prisons undermine the purpose of the criminal justice system by prioritizing profit over justice, rehabilitation, and human morality. After reading Chain-Gang All-Stars and comparing real-world scenarios, it is obvious that incarceration is slowly becoming a business, that companies gain a massive amount of profit from meaning they keep prisons full and exploit those inside them. Many people believe private prisons save money or improve efficiency, but these occasional benefits come at the cost of fairness and moral treatment. This issue matters to everyone because the justice system should protect society while respecting human rights, not produce profits for corporations. People who want to learn more can research prison reform efforts for criminal justice. Ultimately, I believe no one should wake up trapped in prison surrounded by darkness while being underpaid, sentences being made longer, and no way out. Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei Brenyah demonstrates how human lives shouldn’t be treated as products, reminding us that rehabilitation and accountability should always come before profit.

Annotated Bibliography

For-profit prisons take advantage of prisoners by underpaying them, giving them longer sentences, and by advertising big corporations all for the benefit/profit of the prisons.

Annotated Bibliography       

“Resolution 17: Prisons and Profits—The Big Business Behind Mass Incarceration.”

 This article argues that the rise of for-profit corporation prisons has contributed to mass incarceration in the United States, which mainly affected black and Hispanic communities. After doing research on the number of incarcerated people between 1980 and 2011, the author provides the rise in the rate of incarceration has had a disproportionate impact on individuals and communities of color. Statistics show that the number grew from 500,000 to 2.2 million, showing how the business of For Profit incarceration has definitely impacted the United States correctional system. This is a credible source because it is published by the AFL-CIO, a major  labor organization with expertise in workers’ rights and social issues. The article uses statistics, research studies, and official policy statements to support its claims. Although the source contains some bias because it opposes prison privatization, it is still trustworthy for understanding arguments about mass incarceration and prison labor. This source is useful to my paper because it connects to the discriminatory actions that are used against prisoners within large corporations.  

Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame. Chain-Gang All-Stars. Penguin Random House, 2023.

The author of Chain Gang All Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, also supports arguments against for profit prisons, and large corporations. He reveals how incarceration has turned into a business focused on money and entertainment instead of justice and fairness. The people who are incarcerated in the CAPE system are obligated to fight in televised death matches for their “freedom.” The author reveals how disruptive and unfair this system is by presenting to the readers Loretta Thurwar and Hurricane Staxxx which are two women who gained massive fame for participating in the death matches. Fans watch these fights for entertainment; meanwhile the businesses are making a significant amount of money from it. Adjei writes, “And now they’re get to see her on SportsViewNet central, America's number one sports program, or so it said on all the hoodies and sweatshirts she’d sent back home.”(108, Adjei-Brenyah). By placing Thurwar’s image on hoodies and sweatshirts, these corporations profit from violence and imprisonment similarly to real sports events with famous athletes. Adjei uses Social commentary to create a credible narrative. This is useful to my paper because the characters of Thurwar and Staxxx show how the media uses propaganda for entertainment purposes and in turn desensitizes the public.

AFL-CIO. (n.d.). Resolution on mass incarceration and the profit-driven justice system, August 26, 2013.

The AFL-CIO argues that the rise of the For-Profit Prison industry has ruined the integrity of the U.S justice system. The document highlights how private prison companies rely on a business model that treats mass incarceration as a source of profit, also lobbying for stricter sentencing laws like the “three strikes policy.” The text also touches on the systemic degradation of prison environments, profit-maximizing strategies lead to severe budget cuts in basic medical care, food, and clothing, alongside understaffing and low wages for workers. Connecting to how For- Profit Prisons take advantage of prisoners. The AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is the largest federation of unions in the United States, representing over 12 million working men and women. This article is very reliable because it represents the workers who operate correctional officers as well as civil servants. This source is relevant to my paper because it takes note that between 1980 (the birth of for-profit incarceration) and 2011, the U.S. prison population went from 500,000 to 2.2 million. This highlights how mass incarceration is an engineered business that boosts capitalism while decreasing prisoners wages and their humanity. 

Bauer, Lauren. “Are Private Prisons Good Investments for States?” Brennan Center for Justice, 2016, Brennan Center for Justice

The article “ Are  Private Prisons Good Investments for States?” was published by the Brennan Center for Justice, a respected law and public policy institute associated with New York University School of Law. The article goes into depth about how private prisons often fail to save money and instead create financial incentives that encourage mass incarceration and overcrowding. It argues how private prison contracts require prisons to remain mostly full, which obviously benefits these big corporations, meanwhile damaging criminal justice reform efforts, as well as prisoners. This source is credible because it is supported by legal research and prison contract analysis. The authors focus on criminal justice policy and use factual evidence to support their claims. This is useful to my paper as it supports my argument that corporations profit from incarceration and that prisoners are being treated as animals with little to no pay.

Mumford, Megan, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, and Ryan Nunn. “The Economics of Private Prisons.” Brookings Institution, 20 Oct. 2016.

The article “The Economics of Private Prisons” was published by the bookings, institution, a well-known non-partisan research organization that studies public policy and economics. The authors are economists and policy researchers who analyze criminal justice systems using evidence-based statistical research. The article examines the growth of private prisons in the United States after incarceration rates increased during the 1980s. It explains that supporters believe private prisons can reduce overcrowding and lower cost through privatization and innovation. However, the article also argues that for-profit prisons may encourage harm and sensitivity because companies profit from keeping prison bad rather than reducing recidivism.  The source is credible because bookings is a respected institution known for fact based research and policy analysis rather than biased opinions. The article is relevant to my paper because it provides a counter argument and favor of private prisons while also revealing weaknesses and for-profit prison systems . It helps explain both the economic argument, supporting privatization and criticism about big corporations profiting from incarceration.