Criminal Justice and Prisons

America's private prison system has led to drastic changes in the criminal justice system. Beginning in the early 1980's profiting from running prisons first started with the Corrections Corporation of America. They pictured inmates like selling real estate, hamburgers, and cars (Aviram, 2015). While corporate-run prisons only account for eight percent of the American inmate population, it has generated a significant change in how criminals are prosecuted and handled in the criminal justice system. It all began with the founder of the world's first private prison company, Corrections Corporation of America.

Founders T. Don Hutto and Thomas Beasley introduce Corrections Corporation of America in 1983. A year later the company operated a Tennessee-based juvenile detention center and county jail. CCA then opens a Houston-based privately owned facility that held immigration detainees. In 1985 CCA tried a $250 million offer to lease Tennessee's entire prison system for 99 years. They were unsuccessful. CCA decided to go public in 1986 and with this decision came the inclusion of electronic surveillance and less staff needed to operate larger prisons.

Federal immigration detention centers also sprung up with GEO Group, formerly known as Wackenhut Corrections Corporation being one of the first to begin such practices. With the introduction of private prisons and detention centers also came changes in government legislation. The 1990's brought the three-strikes and truth-in-sentencing legislation that increased the number of prisoners sent to prison. The changes in legislation came from CCA even if they did not comment or vote on such legislation.

Later, CCA expanded and gained a new affiliate (Prison Realty Trust) that enabled the raising of $447 million, used to buy more prisons (Aviram, 2015). There is clear spike in number of prisoners in 1990 versus in 2014. From 676,466 to 1,259,768 (BJS, 2016). While private prisons make up only a small percentage of the prisons holding inmates, their influence over the criminal justice system has led to changes in legislation that had led to a trend favoring the imprisonment of more people. CCA being the main force behind such changes.

CCA did not always have such success. After a while, in 2000, as the prison occupancy rates decline, CCA stock plummeted. This forced them to drop the Prison Realty Trust as well as restructure. Private prisons not only were often understaffed, but also underreported violent incidents, and had poorly trained personnel operating the facilities (Aviram, 2015). Aside from CCA and GEO changing legislation, they also opposed bills that would hold them responsible for certain rights ordinarily granted to prisoners in public prisons.

Not only have private prisons increased, along with changes in legislation to court rulings, but immigration laws have passed as well in order to provide the environment from which companies can operate detainment facilities and profit from detaining immigrants. CCA purportedly had a hand in the passing of Arizona's anti-immigration law. Aside from the bills passed due to CCA influence, they later on acquired more prisons, state prisons, and continued to expand as did the private prison system and how courts handle trials and court cases. 2.

Nonprofit criminal justice organizations aim to lower incarceration rates and provide alternatives to incarceration. One such nonprofit organization is CCA or Center for Community Alternatives. They aim to give opportunities for those with potential to be incarcerated to have a second chance away from the prison system. CEO or Center for Employment Opportunities, aims to help those with criminal records, find gainful and meaningful employment after they see release from prison.

These are just some organizations that are created to help those in need within the criminal justice system get a fresh start or avoid unnecessary jail time. Criminal justice organizations are unlike nonprofit criminal justice organizations. Although some of their objectives may be the same, their overall purpose is different. A good example of how their objectives can be the same is looking into one example of a criminal justice organization.

Crime Prevention Association of Michigan is a criminal justice organization aimed at offering and promoting education, technical assistance, crime prevention, training, as well as professional development to those wishing to improve the quality of life of communities in Michigan. Although this kind of organization is aimed towards crime prevention practitioners, the desire to improve the community is the common thread. The desire to improve the community is deeply ingrained in some of these organizations.

For example, the National Criminal Justice Association aims to examine and develop national policy within the criminal.