The Cost of Confinement: Who Pays for Public and Private Jails?

This week, we pull back the curtain on the complex and often controversial funding mechanisms behind our nation's jails. We investigate: Public Jails: How are they funded by your local taxes? What role do county budgets and state allocations play? Private Jails: Who are the major corporations involved, and how do their contracts and per-diem rates affect taxpayers and policy? Is 'for-profit' incarceration a fair model? The True Cost: Beyond housing and feeding inmates, we explore the hidden costs of medical care, mental health services, and staff wages in both systems.