I agree, the only reason private prisons exist is because the government was sending so many people to prison the public prisons could not keep up budget wise.

I agree, the only reason private prisons exist is because the government was sending so many people to prison the public prisons could not keep up budget wise. So they had to ask the private sector to help keep costs down. Private prisons are just a symptom (only 6 percent of state prisoners, 16 percent of federal prisoners are in private prisons) of the real problem that is the US is sending too many people to prisons, more than any country and mostly because of harsh punishment of victimless crimes such as the war on drugs but not only that, there's also the 3-strike rule, minimum sentences, ridiculous regulations etc and both republicans and dems are responsible as these were passed by Clinton with the agreement of the opposition. Sickening really. And now they are blaming private prisons? How about admitting the government was wrong on the war on drugs and harassing the poor with victimless crimes which resulted in a waste of trillions of dollars and millions of poor sent to prisons having their life ruined. Not gonna happen I know, or at least it will but very slowly and they will blame the private sector all the way during the process. Again, this is really sickening.