USA: Louisiana, Prisons of shame

Louisiana holds the world record for rate of incarceration – 10 times higher than in Germany, and three times higher than Iran. This unenviable record is due to a particularity of the southern state: in Louisiana, the majority of prisons are privatized and run by sheriffs. They earn $24 per prisoner, per day, so if the number of inmates falls, the revenue goes down with it. These “parish prisons,” as they are known, are engaged in a race to snap up prisoners, who are now seen as business opportunities.
Conditions in these jails are deplorable: up to 1,500 inmates are crammed into dormitories designed for 200 people. There are fewer and fewer staff, as networks of cameras allow a single guard to monitor the behavior of large numbers of prisoners for even greater profitability.

Due to copyright restrictions, this video can only be viewed on RT’s live feed. Time of broadcast is available on RT’s schedule page.