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Why 'John Lewis jails' are better for corporations than for prisoners [UK]
A thinktank wants to cut crime with 'John Lewis jails', but the plan to get prisoners working looks more like a new opportunity for giant corporations…There are big, troubling issues with the direction of travel…as soon as prisoners turn into a profit opportunity for businesses, there are huge moral hazards…[T]here is absolutely chilling form from America on this: one company accounts for 25% of the prison business in the US. Every time the prison population rises, its profits rise. It has an active stake in prisoners reoffending…The value on prisoner output…exceeded $2bn in 2006. Hourly wages varied, but could be as low as 23 cents. This looks a lot like slave labour. [refers to Capita, G4S, A4E, Serco, Sedexo, Amey, Geo]