The creation of a prison-industrial complex is one the most disturbing things
going on. Note there is no contradiction between the facts that prisons are
both hugely expensive and very profitable. Just like with military
spending, the
cost is public cost and the profits are private profits: it's
yet another way of funneling public money into the pockets of the rich
few.
Here are a collection of interesting
articles on prison privatization and prison
labor.