Programs Not Profits

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A consensus is growing that is truly unprecedented. More and more Americans—including leaders from both political parties—agree that mass incarceration is neither cost-effective for taxpayers nor safe for our communities.

But the private corrections industry, made up of companies that make more profit when more people are in the system, is an obstacle to change. For-profit private prison operators, like Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and GEO Group, and companies that work in industries such as health care, telecommunications, and prisoner banking, have grown to provide an increased number of services to America’s correctional facilities.

Each year, the private corrections industry collects hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from taxpayers. To strengthen safety and justice in our communities, we should invest that money in improving and expanding treatment and rehabilitation programs, with a focus on job training, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment.

There is no better time than now to work together to build a more moral and cost-effective criminal justice system, a system that better serves taxpayers and communities.

About the Campaign

Programs Not Profits is a multi-year campaign that promotes replacing private profits that hurt incarcerated people, correctional officers, and taxpayers, with publicly funded and managed programs that provide job training, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment.

If you have questions or would like to get involved, contact In the Public Interest’s Communication Specialist, Jeremy Mohler, at jmohler@inthepublicinterest.org or 202-429-5091.

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