now you get me out!

I promise, I have someone working on it.

But in the meantime, this is a great opportunity to explain why our nation's prison system is a failure on every level.

Ha! So you know a lot about prison?

I bet you watch a lot of PBS documentaries, huh?

I guess you're right.

I do lack firsthand knowledge.

Ooh, maybe you could help me do this episode?

Sure. Nothing better to do.

(snaps fingers)

Whoa!

Do you have magic TV powers like Adam?

Nope, but I got a lot of favors.

Early lunch today.

Early lunch today, everyone.

America's prison system is a total mess.

Whatever purpose you think it serves, it ain't doing it.

Well, the point of prison is to reduce crime.

It's definitely not doing that.

There are 2.2 million people incarcerated in the U.S.,

ten times more than 50 years ago.

Two million is more than the population of some states.

Welcome to Mass-Incarceration- Achusetts.

Our primary export-- shivs.

Our secondary export-- cod!

Hey! That's cod-traband.

(laughing)

But despite this massive increase in the prison population,

a study conducted by the NYU School of Law

found that the effect on the crime rate has been essentially zero.

Zero? Then why do we lock so many people up?

Well, I can't speak for all prisons,

but this one is here to make money.

Make money?

You mean someone is profiting from all this?

Yep, these guys are.

It all started in the "tough on crime" '80s,

when the war on drugs meant state and federal prisons were bursting at the seams.

So many prisoners? What do we do?

Let corporate America handle your prisons.

We'll take care of everything.

Save you a few bucks and skim a little off the top.

Businesses running prisons?

That sounds a little fishy.

(laughing) Just kidding!

I mean, hey, if it saves money, right?

And so the Corrections Corporation of America, or CCA, was born.

Okay, hold on. You can't just sell prisons like they're cars or real estate or hamburgers.

Hmph! Then why don't you tell that to Tom Beasley。

the co-founder of CCA who once said..."YOU JUST SELL PRISONS LIKE YOU WERE SELLING CARS, OR REAL ESTATE, OR HAMBURGERS."

CCA, can I take your order?

I'll have a number seven with extra solitary cells,

electric fence, and small onion rings.

Like to supermax that?

Yeah, I'll supermax it.

And they rake in a ton of scratch.

Last year, CCA took in $1.7 billion.

Business is so good it's criminal.

(laughter)

Well, you know, maybe it's okay.

Because they're saving the taxpayer money.

Sorry! The sales pitch was wrong.

The data shows that private prisons cost the taxpayers just as much as regular prisons.

And today, nearly one-fifth of federal prisoners are held in a for-profit facility.

Okay, no--

Ah, graffiti! That's an infraction.

A beautiful one. Are you Banksy?

Oh, my gosh, I already got an infraction.

They must give out a lot of these.

Oh, yeah, that's not a coincidence.

One study showed that private prisons dole out twice as many infractions as government prisons.

Not having enough infractions.

That's an infraction.

These penalties can lengthen your sentence,

which earns the company even more cash.

Oh, so the more people that are in prison,

the more money they make.

Ooh, that's dirty!

Yep, that's why private prisons sneak occupancy clauses into their contracts,

which actually require states to keep prisons full.

Last year, a private prison in Arizona didn't make their 97% capacity quota,

so the state government had to pay them a $3 million fine.

Fines like that incentivize cash-strapped states to keep people in prison as long as possible.

Your parole forms are in order and you've been a model prisoner,

so we're going to--

(clears throat)

Lock you back up.

We really can't afford to pay another fine.

That's reprehensible.

Look, not all prisons are private prisons,

but this one is. So no,

it's purpose isn't to stop crime.

It's the dollar-dollar bills, y'all!

Whoo!

I can't believe all this has been happening and I didn't even know.

I mean, I never thought about prison, like, at all.

Hey, pulling back the curtain on our disturbing business practices,

that's an infraction.

Hey, that makes three infractions.

You're gonna go to solitary.

Okay, that doesn't sound so bad.

You know, peace and quiet, do some meditating.

No, solitary confinement is a cruel and inhumane punishment

that has no place in modern society.

Wait, what?

Eh, we'll tell you about it after you get settled in the hole.

No, tell me now!