Hacker News Reader

> non-profit incarceration/detention, in which the incentive is to not put people in prison

How do you figure? Is the "I'll save you money by being soft on crime" election platform popular in your country?

Yes. Prisons are overcrowded, criminals are released earlier or not put in prison at all, and judges punish lower because prisons are too full.

And private prisons don't get overcrowded?

Since private prisons make a profit instead of costing millions, you can actually build more of them.

With the added benefit of not costing the taxpayer as much.

Who is the customer in this business model. Does that change the way you might think about prisons that must make a profit?

You might argue that it drives efficiency but what does efficiency mean in the context of a prison? Cheaper food for the inmates? Less pay for the guards?

Who do you think pays for private prisons? Where's the profit coming from?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com