Justice Department reinstates policy allowing private prisons to house federal inmates
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday withdrew a memo issued last year that had ordered the phase-out of privately operated federal prisons.
Sessions issued a new memo that questioned the wisdom of the phase-out and said the Bureau of Prisons should "return to its previous approach."
The Associated Press, Reuters and the Huffington Post have stories.
The new memo said the phase-out ordered last August had contradicted Justice Department policy and impaired the ability of the Bureau of Prisons to meet future needs.
The prior memo by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates had concluded that private prisons provide less safety than public prisons, with little cost savings. Her memo had followed a report by the Justice Department’s Inspector General that found privately run prisons had higher rates of assaults and use of force.
Related article:
ABAJournal.com: “Prison Break: Budget Crises Drive Reform, But Private Jails Press On”
See also:
USA Today: “Private prisons back Trump and could see big payoffs with new policies”
