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Florida Provides Lesson in How Not to Privatize State Prisons
by David M. Reutter
When Florida lawmakers used a backdoor approach to try to privatize almost 30 state detention facilities in 2011, they likely did not anticipate the outcome. By the time the political dust had settled, the union representing prison employees had successfully sued to stop the privatization plan, …
When Florida lawmakers used a backdoor approach to try to privatize almost 30 state detention facilities in 2011, they likely did not anticipate the outcome. By the time the political dust had settled, the union representing prison employees had successfully sued to stop the privatization plan, …
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More from this issue:
- Florida Provides Lesson in How Not to Privatize State Prisons, by David Reutter
- Israeli Study Shows Parole Decisions May be Affected by Whether Board Members are Hungry
- Alaska Medical Care Reimbursement Statute Extends to Former Prisoners; State Refuses to Pay Part of Medical Malpractice Judgment, by Mark Wilson
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Prisoners Contribute to Flood Control Efforts in Louisiana
- Business is Booming for Prison Profiteers, by James Kilgore
- Colorado CCA Prison Uprising: New Details of Unheeded Warnings Emerge in Epic Lawsuit, by Alan Prendergast
- PLN Settles Censorship Suit Against South Carolina Jail; County Agrees to Pay $599,900 and Change Policies
- New York City Jail Considered Serving Spoiled Meat, by David Reutter
- Doctors Propose Changes to Fix Flaws in Compassionate Release Programs, by Michael Brodheim
- Alaskan Private Prison Promoter Arrested in Mexico, Extradited to U.S. on Child Sexual Abuse Charges
- California Governor Cozies up to Prison Guards and Crime Victim Advocates
- GEO Group Ends Florida PAC
- Some States Resist Implementing Adam Walsh Act Requirements
- Fight Brewing Between County Jails and Private Prisons in Kentucky
- Oregon Discontinues Failed Prisoner Deportation Program
- Rikers Island Guards File Suit Alleging Cancer-Causing Toxin Exposure, by Mark Wilson
- Private Equity Firms Profit Handsomely from Prison Phone Services
- Mother Questions Her Son’s “Natural” Death in Colorado CCA Prison, by Alan Prendergast
- Head of Missouri Jail Sentenced for Beating, Arranging Attacks on Prisoners
- CDCR Pays $12,000 to Settle California Prisoner’s Pro Se Caging Suit
- Settlement in New York City Jail Mental Health Services Case Still Alive
- Texas Prisoner on Idaho Presidential Primary Ballot in 2008, by Mark Wilson
- Washington DOC Employee Faces Ethics Complaint for Running Non-Profits on State Time Using State Resources, by Matthew Clarke
- Audit Recommends Cost-Saving Measures for Minnesota Sex Offender Program
- BOP Settles Prisoner Rape Suit for $625,000, by Brandon Sample
- Videotaped Assault at Idaho CCA Prison Sparks FBI Investigation, by Mark Wilson
- Texas Towns Saddled with Empty, Expensive Privatized Prisons and Jails, by Matthew Clarke
- Homeless New Mexico Sex Offender Arrested for Moving Out of Dumpster
- Massachusetts: Guards Suspended, Accused of Threatening to Kill Escaped Prisoner in Scheme to Generate Overtime
- FBI Looks into Relationship between GEO Group and Former Florida House Speaker, by David Reutter
- Federal Probation Officer Sexually Abused Clients, Sentenced to Ten Years, by Mark Wilson
- Prison Phone Rates Under Scrutiny by Louisiana Regulatory Agency
- New Mexico Continues to Let Understaffed Private Prisons Slide on Most Contract Violations, by Matthew Clarke
- Agreement Between Florida DOC and DOT Steals 1,000 Freeworld Jobs, by David Reutter
- Washington Prisoner Killed During Prison Industries Escape Attempt
- Oregon’s Attorney General Accused of Botched, Abusive Prosecutions, by Mark Wilson
- California Pays $10,000 to Settle Sex Abuse Suit Brought by Transgender Prisoner
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Credits Sentence with Time on Appeal Bond
- Ninth Circuit Applies Turner Test to Evaluate First Amendment Interest in Prisoners’ Receipt of Unsolicited Publications, by Michael Brodheim
- Arizona Ranchers Use Prison Labor to Construct Erosion-Prevention Dams
- Former Oregon Prison Official Faces Ethics Probe
- Study Reports on Undiagnosed HIV Infections in New York City Jails, by Matthew Clarke
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Rules Against Parole Board on Imposition of Sex Offender Restrictions on Non-Sex Offenders, by Matthew Clarke
- Colorado Prison Murder Prosecutions Include Coerced Witnesses, Withholding of Evidence
- California: Prison Visitor Settles Slip-and-Fall Suit for $175,000
- News in Brief:
More from David Reutter:
- Sixth Circuit Announces State-Law Exceptions to Appeal Deadlines Preserve “Pending” Status Under AEDPA, Holding Belated-Appeal Procedures Toll Federal Habeas Limitations Period, April 1, 2026
- Florida Supreme Court Announces Rule 3.170(f)’s Good-Cause Plea-Withdrawal Standard Does Not Apply at Post-Appeal Resentencing, April 1, 2026
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Defendant Must Be Competent Before Undergoing Mental-Condition Examination Under § 16-8-107(3)(b), April 1, 2026
- California Court of Appeal Announces Plea Agreements Cannot Bar § 1172.1 Resentencing, Holds Merit-Based Denial of Petition Is Appealable, April 1, 2026
- Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies That Failure to Object to Ineligible Juror Does Not Constitute Waiver Unless Party Knew or Could Have Discovered Ineligibility Through Ordinary Diligence, April 1, 2026
- Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
- Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- ACLU Threatens New Lawsuit After Indiana County’s Repeated Failures to Abide by 17-Year-Old Settlement Agreement, May 1, 2026. Overcrowding, Exercise, Sanitation, Bedding, Settlements.
- Idaho Moves Closer to Firing Squad Executions, May 1, 2026. Death Penalty, State Legislation, Method of Execution, Lethal Injection Method of Execution.
- Faced with Record-Breaking Jail Deaths, L.A. County Supervisors Tell Sheriff’s Department to Improve Access to Naloxone, Camera Monitoring, and Security Checks at California Jail, May 1, 2026. Drug Overdose, Overcrowding, Sanitation, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness).
- Arkansas Board of Corrections Settles Sunshine Law Charges, Caving to Governor’s Power Grab, May 1, 2026. Retaliation for Litigating, State Legislation, Public Records Act, Constitution, state, Community Confinement/Home Detention.
- Prisons in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula “in a Death Spiral” Due to Under-Staffing, May 1, 2026. Staffing, Lockdowns, Rural Prisons, Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Assaults on Staff.
- Texas Moves to Restrict Cashless Bond and Reverse Federal Court-Ordered Misdemeanor Bail Reform, May 1, 2026. Conditions of Confinement, Money/Property, Bail/Pretrial Release, Civil Rights Actions or Offenses/Bivens Actions, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- “Large Fight” Broke Out at Alaska Prison After Downsizing Effort, April 1, 2026. Transfers, Cost of Prison Systems, Totality of Conditions, Failure to Protect (General), Overcrowding.
- Class Certification Granted to Suit Challenging Suspension of HALT Act in New York Prisons, April 1, 2026. Injunctions, Class Certification, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Guard Unions, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- Idaho Struggles to Respond to Devasting Report of Widespread Prisoner Sex Abuse, April 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Prison Rape Elimination Act, State Legislation, Public Records Act.
- Houston Jail Renews $38 Million Contract to Outsource Detainees to Private Lockups, April 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Failure to Treat, Overcrowding, Staffing, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.

