Hernando Co. FL shocked to find out that their privatized jail is not being maintained

[FLAprogressive]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/hernando-sheriff-changes-his-mind-on-takeover-of-jail/1087065

BROOKSVILLE — Sheriff Richard Nugent announced Tuesday that he is withdrawing his proposal to take over operations at the Hernando County Jail.

Nugent said that after touring the jail buildings he decided that they needed too much maintenance and repair work to take on the task at this time.

"The county jail facility is deteriorating to a point that, regardless of who is operating the jail, some significant repairs and improvements must occur very soon," Nugent said in a news release. "According to (Corrections Corporation of America, the private company that operates the jail), they have made the county aware, on many occasions, that numerous repairs are needed.''

*snip*

Nugent's early impressions were that he could operate the jail, run by CCA for 22 years, better and at less expense, at a time when the county has been looking for ways to save tax dollars.

But CCA officials have argued that their massive buying power for tens of thousands of inmates and employees nationwide has created an efficiency of scale and savings that Nugent couldn't duplicate.

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Ah, privatization. Working wonders every day.


The free market continues to work wonders....

[Newest Reality]

1. A grim specter casts its shadow ...

Corporations imprisoning us. Governments set the standards and do the sentencing while corporations carry them out for a fee ... currently.

What a great incentive though, to impose more laws that are tougher and even more Draconian so that industry can be served. The US already has the highest per capita incarceration rate compared to other modern, industrialized ones.

I could see a day coming, potentially, where governments also contract out the police forces, judges, etc. Why not have a cost-effective, all-in-one solution?

[anigbrowl]

2. Before you get all up in arms about this...

http://www.co.hernando.fl.us/bocc/budget/pdf/budget05/budget/C.%20Administrative%20Services.pdf

It appears from both the news story and various county documents (eg one of the recent budgets selected at random) that upkeep of the jail facility is actually a county responsibility, and there is a budget for it. CCA runs the jail but doesn't own or maintain the building. Apparently the county building inspectors have never gone out there to take a look at it, so I'm not sure that this is CCA's fault.

no, I don't support private prison companies...on the other hand, they shouldn't be blamed for something that was not their responsibility to begin with.

[Obamanaut]

3. +1, but this revelation will not be popular. nt

[MissMarple]

4. Well, a free market isn't free. It's not free from influence and control,

and it needs government to provide infrastructure and stability. Some people will do any damn thing they can get away with.