Privatized Prisoners Forced to Poo in Plastic Bags/Buckets

Two weeks ago - I wrote a detailed entry on the failure of privatization of prisons in Ohio, and specifically the Lake Erie facility.  I would strongly suggest that you read that article if your state is considering privatizing their prisons.

Today – I found an article on HuffPo that points out more information on the Ohio Lake Erie prison and that article is also well worth your read.

This is just another documentation of the failure of privatization of public services pushed by the American Legislative Exchange Council. When are people going to wake up and stop this insanity?

Cruel and unusual Privatized punishment?

When a private prison corporation paid Ohio $72.7 million in 2011 to purchase one of the state's facilities, the company touted the deal as a "groundbreaking" move that would serve as a model for other states looking to cut costs.

But in the year since Corrections Corporation of America took over the 1,700-bed Lake Erie Correctional Institution, state audits have found patterns of inadequate staffing, delays in medical treatment and "unacceptable living conditions" inside the prison -- including inmates lacking access to running water and toilets. The state docked the company nearly $500,000 in pay because of the violations.

"CCA has positioned this as a seamless transition," said Mike Brickner, public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. "It's been anything but that from the very beginning."

A September state audit found that inmates being disciplined in segregation at the prison were using plastic containers and bags as a makeshift restroom, in the absence of working toilets and running water.

Other breaches highlighted in the September audit included problems with medical care and concerns about security:

    Inmates requesting to be seen by a nurse were not seen within 48 hours

    Doctors' appointments were usually delayed, and often there were

        no follow-ups

    Staff wasn't following the proper procedures for chronically ill

        inmates, including those with diabetes and AIDS

    Inmates were triple-bunked, with some sleeping on mattresses

        on cell floors

    "Some staff expressed safety concerns due to low staffing numbers

        and not having enough coverage."

ALEC Experimental Privatization Agenda

Public Policy Failure

Corporate Profit Success