State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Will states follow DOJ’s private prison move? Some are ahead of the feds.

The Washington Post: Uncle Sam is an influential guy. When he speaks, states listen.

If history is a guide, the Justice Department’s decision to phase out private prisons could have an impact well beyond federal Bureau of Prison facilities. Already, some states are ahead of the federal government in closing for-profit correctional locations. The move by the Justice Department could encourage more of that.

“The federal prison system is traditionally seen, by other state prison systems, as the gold standard, as embodying best practices, as an example to follow,” said David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) National Prison Project. “The fact that the federal prison system is ending its use of private prisons could encourage some other states to follow suit. … I think it’s likely that some will follow the federal example.”

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