Posts in Prisons
Arizona’s winning formula: Prisons instead of education

We all know it’s better to invest in prisons than in education, right? I mean, why not throw millions at a declining prison population instead of spending it in the classroom? Last week, buried among the headlines of the Republican National Convention, sandwiched between Clint Eastwood’s conversation with a chair and Governor Brewer’s accidental endorsement …

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Behind Bars: The Real Cost of Private Prisons

According to Arizona’s former U.S. Democratic Senator Dennis DeConcini, private prisons like Corrections Corp of America are the gold standard in inmate care. His words, in a recent editorial for the Arizona Republic, paint a rosy picture of private prisons, describing CCA as offering a cost-effective means to provide “humane treatment” without sacrificing “safety, quality …

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A New Prison Formula: Retribution + Rehabilitation = Reform

In Arizona we pride ourselves on being tough on crime. That’s Sheriff Joe’s motto, after all, and people in this state eat it up. From the infamous pink underwear to jailhouse tent cities, Sheriff Arpaio has made a name for himself as someone shameless about shaming criminals. But recent headlines about major security lapses at …

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