# For-profit prisons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-profit-prisons/576154>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 27, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-profit-prisons/576154 "2011-03-27T15:59:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-profit-prisons/576154/121 "2011-11-01T23:20:25Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> You’re missing a vital point. Prisons don’t determine the length of sentences. That’s handled by the court system and the parole system, which are independent government-run agencies.
> 
> So the people who are determining how long a person stays in prison are the representatives of the people paying the bills not the ones collecting the money. If an economic motive arises, it’ll be to reduce prison population.

But a prision environment can also help shape if the criminal will be eligble for parole, early release, etc…or -a big thing with kids - if they get time added on. There was a nice bit by the Southern Poverty Law Center on this re: juveniles…iirc, Mississippi and Louisiana are troubled states.

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