The investigators found the costs to the taxpayer of the private prison were about the same as those of a public facility. Since a portion of the private plant's revenue goes to investors, less is available for prison care and guard training. As a result, as Eric Bates reports in The Nation, the CCA prison has become a dangerous place, The employee turnover rate was twice the level as at state prisons. Violent incidents have been 50 percent higher than in state facilities. The best way to maximize the revenue generated by each prisoner is to maximize the cell time of that prisoner.
Good time leads to weekend leaves or early release, both of which reduce corporate revenues.
Prison laborers now make clothes, car parts, computer components, shoes, furniture and many other items. Although state prisons pay minimum wage to inmates, Counterpunch magazine notes that private prisons pay as little as 17 cents per hour. Indeed, CCA has become one of the largest contributor of campaign contributions in California. The California corrections officers association is the second most generous PAC in Sacramento. Ten years ago just five private prisons existed, housing about 2,000 inmates.