Research Post: Prisons for Profit and the Technology They Require

[JCollins]

Introduction:

I'm sure when you think about metal bars, orange jump suits, handcuffs and prison courtyards you don't think about a business running at a profit. However, there are an increasing number of privately owned prisons popping up across the country. With the increase in the number of private prisons the number of inmates has also increased. Just like any other business trying to make money, business owners are seeing an opportunity to invest in the incarceration of people. Although people have conflicting views on this topic it can't be argued that it is becoming more of a legitimate business and with that comes technological needs in order to run more efficiently. We all know that improvements in technology have provided many other industries with increased profits as well as assisted with providing customers with superior products. The privatized prison industry is no different; the owners of these institutions need technological advancements in order to make the prisons run effectively. I will discuss several of the different technological advancements that have been made in this industry as well as how they affect how business is done inside the walls of the prisons.

Body:

In old prison movies we always see police officers carrying billy clubs and constricting inmates with old fashion handcuffs. Currently prisons are upgrading their officer with newer and better equipment that increases the efficiency of their employees and that allows them to more effectively do their job. Obviously, a big concern for officers inside prisons is to keep themselves safe as well as the prisoners safe [1]. According to CNN prisons are trying to use weapons that are considered 'less than lethal' [1]. Prison guards are using new and improved flash bangs that disorient prisoners, the upgraded products now are mad of rubber so that when they explode they do not cause pieces of metal to fly through the air, which can injure both guards and inmates [1]. Captain Carl Sims said that whit the old flash bangs an individual could be injured or even killed by pieces of flying metal [1]. Guards are also using new riot shields which have flashing lights in them which can be used to deflect strikes from inmates as well as disorient them with flashing lights, almost like a strobe light in a night club [1]. These shields are an improvement from the old riot shields that did not have flashing lights and were also much heavier. In fatal situations it is important for guards to use force that will keep them safe from inmates who may hurt themselves, another inmate or guards. Firearms use to be used in some prison situations when it was necessary control the inmate, unfortunately this often had a fatal effect on the inmate. Now guards are using firearms that shoot rubber bullets that stun the inmates long enough to get them under control and keep everyone safe [1]. These rubber bullets have caused cracked ribs as well concussions but nothing more [1]. Firearms that fire small plastic balls filled with pepper spray are also being used to control disgruntle inmates while keeping them from a distance and not causing any harm to them [1]. Jim Topham, of Jaycor corporation commented on the advantages of using such non lethal weapons,"not only do you dispense the OC but you get the kinetic impact and the psychological impact of being shot," [1]. The psychological effects of being shot is just as important in controlling an inmate as the physical effects, if you think you have been shot with a firearm you are automatically an inmate as the physical effects, if you think you have been shot with a firearm you are automatically going to react to the pain and go down. Some guards are using automatic microphones that are attached to their chests or necks that are activated by the vibrations in the throat caused by talking; this keeps the guards hands free while still giving them the ability to communicate with one another [1]. Guards are so well equipped that they can be wearing up to $3000 in equipment while patrolling the prison [1].

Some prisons are trying to implement airport scanners in the prison system to keep employees and inmate safe. The same airport scanning systems that have gained much media attention seem to be staying below the radar of the media when considered for prison use [2]. Many people consider prisoners to be second class citizens so that could be the reason that they are not gaining as much media attention. However, these systems would definitely assist in keeping prisons safe and improve the detection abilities of guard by taking x-ray pictures of inmates while they enter and exit their cells [2]. This system would allow prisons to screen large amounts of prisoners quickly and safely and with much more detail. By equipping their guards with the best technology they not only help keep their guards safe but also their prisoners. It may seem much more important to keep the guards safe than it is to keep the prisoners safe but when those prisoners are you customers it is equally, if not more important to keep them safe.

Viewing prisons as a legitimate, for profit business is difficult to comprehend for most of us at first but after overcoming the initial shock of viewing inmates as customers for privatized prions it becomes clearer. In most businesses customers are the ones who bring the money in, they pay for a service or product. In privatized prisons the "customers" or people bringing in the money are prisoners. Prisons are often given federal and state funding which is dictated by how many prisoners are in the prison; however some prisons have their inmates pay for different services they receive while in prison as well as a general fee each day [3]. For example, some prisons in California have their inmates pay $10 per day for services they receive [3]. Some prisoners are allowed to work 40 hours a week for about $40 a month, usually these programs are federally funded [3]. All of these are ways that prisons bring in money from their customers, which in this case are the inmates.

Providing guards with the best equipment is the same thing as Wal Mart providing their employees with new state of the art inventory systems which allow their employees to provide better service to their customers. Employing these new systems and technology in the prisons is obviously going to change the way that these companies are managed. it is difficult to know all the ins and outs of managing a prison but a lot of the general management tactics of managing any corporation should be similar. Anytime new technology is brought into a work environment it takes the employees a little while to adjust to them as well as managers a little while to acknowledge how to use them most effectively. When prisons start using the new airport scanning systems their will be a bit of a learning curve and training that their guards will have to go through. Any other company would have to put their employees through similar training schedules if they were to start using new technology.

Conclusion:

Prisons as for profit businesses are becoming more common and therefore demanding more advanced technologies to run their prisons more efficiently. As new equipment is developed for the industry prisons will be run more effectively, guards as well as inmates will be sager and prisons will be kept in better order. With these advances in technology come training and learning curves for both managers and guards who work the floor of prisons. Many of the same management tactics will be used when implementing these new technologies as would be used in any other business. Keeping managers and other lower level employees up to date on the newest technologies is important in order to keep individual prisons up to par with the competition.

Questions:

1) Do you believe that prisons for profit are a good idea for our society?

2) Can you think of any way that management would differ in prison than in a traditional company?

3) How do you feel about integrating airport scanning systems in prisons?

Sources:>>
[1] http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/pt...6/prison.riot/
[2] http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journal...technology.htm
[3] http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/17056