Private prisons have an obligation through shareholders and ownership to maximize earnings/profit. They also have inherently less oversight than an institution

Private prisons have an obligation through shareholders and ownership to maximize earnings/profit. They also have inherently less oversight than an institution that is controlled by the state. Given statement #1 they have a perverse incentive to acquire more inmates and keep inmates longer confined due to receiving govt. funding for their operations every day an inmate is housed. This also includes serving the cheapest possible food and providing little to no benefits. That being said state prisons are no shining beacon of enlightenment and prisoner reform.