On the Aug. 22 edition of “RT America Live,” AlterNet writer Sarah Lazare joins host Simone Del Rosario to discuss her recent article that explores the Department of Justice’s decision to end their use of private prisons.
Last Thursday, Aug. 18, the DOJ’s announcement came as a surprise to many human rights activists fighting to end mass incarceration.
However, critics say more needs to be done.
In the damning AlterNet article, Lazare described how companies can still profit despite the recent announcement.
She revealed that private prisons hold an estimated 8 percent of the U.S. prison population, and private companies can still profit from making ankle bracelets, overcharging for phone calls and security contracts.
Lazare says in the segment that mass incarceration is the root cause of the problem, not private prisons.
“Prisons period,” she exclaims. “It’s not just private prisons. It is public prisons that are the main drivers of mass incarceration… What we need right now is a big-picture look at mass incarceration overall.”
