Today, the prison industry has become a means for profit. Because of this, it has compromised human rights and is ineffective in its application. This is what is now known as the “Prison-Industrial Complex.” The prison industry has become part of a complex system that puts large numbers of people in prison in an effort to make money and perpetuate what has quickly become a for-profit business. For-profit prisons should be illegal — they are ineffective, immoral and have an inexcusable influence on legislation.

Private prison corporations are paid a certain amount of money per detainee per day by governments. Although the amount varies from corporation to corporation, it is enough for the prisons to make a profit every day they have a prisoner. This causes corporations to have a vested interest in the number of people they hold and the amount of time they hold them. This pattern raises significant human rights issues.

In his article, “The Irrationality of the Prison-Industrial Complex,” Louis Kontos argues that prisons are ineffective and outdated attempts at social reform. Kontos argues that prisons do not adequately prepare inmates to reenter society, which creates a cycle of incarceration.

Prisons have been show to be ineffective, yet the prison population and number of detained illegal immigrants has only increased. The logical explanation is because private prison corporations are being contracted and paid by the government to hold more people for longer. They have a vested interest in increased population and detention time. If prisons are not effective in reducing crime and reforming individuals but are increasing sentencing for a profit, a fundamental problem exists.