Phasing out private prisons

Earlier this week the Obama administration said it would phase out the use of private for-profit prisons to house federal inmates.

It’s about time.  Those prisons were more violent, saved the government very little money, and actually encouraged longer sentences for greater profit.

The Pennsylvania scandal known as “Kids for Cash,” in which corrupt judges sentenced juveniles to for-profit prisons in return for kickbacks would never have happened if those facilities had been run by the public.

Unfortunately, states may still use private for-profit prisons.  They should be phased out as quickly as possible.