EPISODE · Feb 5, 2021 · 23 MIN
"As many people incarcerated as possible." How the government got in the private prison business, and why it's getting out
from The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio · host Audacy
Under a new executive order from President Joe Biden, the federal government will not renew its contracts with private prisons. We had a lot of questions about what this means and the bigger picture -- like why did the federal government start using privately run prisons in the first place? What actually changes for guards and inmates when a prison turns private? And what are the larger societal ramifications going to look like after the government exits the for-profit prison business? Dr. Caitlin Taylor, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at La Salle University joins KYW Newsradio in Depth to talk about why we use prisons to turn profits in the United States and what it says that the government wants out.
What this episode covers
Under a new executive order from President Joe Biden, the federal government will not renew its contracts with private prisons. We had a lot of questions about what this means and the bigger picture -- like why did the federal government start using privately run prisons in the first place? What actually changes for guards and inmates when a prison turns private? And what are the larger societal ramifications going to look like after the government exits the for-profit prison business? Dr. Caitlin Taylor, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at La Salle University joins KYW Newsradio in Depth to talk about why we use prisons to turn profits in the United States and what it says that the government wants out.
NOW PLAYING
"As many people incarcerated as possible." How the government got in the private prison business, and why it's getting out
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m