> My suspicion is that policy makers know full well that the present rate of
> incarceration is irrational, but they have fanned the flames of fear and cannot
> suddenly claim that crime is no longer so threatening.
I would add that the private prison industry is profitable in the U.S. which creates an incentive for prison owners to build more prisons and incarcerate more people. I believe Lockheed Martin is one of the largest prison owners, making the private prison drive yet another example of publicly funded private profit. Many people who work in the corrections and justice industry, otherwise well-intentioned, have a stake in maintaining the system as it is.
Sam Pawlett