Justice Department to End Use of Private Prisons

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to cease using private prisons after concluding the facilities are not as safe or effective as government-run correctional institutions. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates made the announcement Thursday, informing Justice officials they should decline to renew and/or phase out the scope of existing contracts—with the hopes of, in her words, “reducing—and ultimately ending—our use of privately operated prisons.” Yates added of the private facilities: “They simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources; they do not save substantially on costs; and as noted in a recent report by the Department’s Office of Inspector General, they do not maintain the same level of safety and security.”