It’s not that easy to get data about this but as far as I understand prison workers unions are a significant political player in the US.
An incomplete accounting suggests that prison guard unions outspend private prisons, which could reverse “This incentive is strong for public prisons and doubly strong for private prisons.” So whatever negative effects one expected from private prison political advocacy, at least double that. (The important part isn’t “sides” on that but rather the magnitude of political lobbying.)
(I feel I should note that public unions will spend effort lobbying to increase workers’ share of the prison costs, not just to increase the number of prisoners or guard jobs. I could not tell you the breakdown between advocacy for “tough on crime” and for more pension protection.)
I feel I should note that public unions will spend effort lobbying to increase workers’ share of the prison costs
Workers that are union members. I don’t know whether a CBT therapist would be included.
If a prison suddenly starts hiring all sorts of specialists that aren’t prison guards and pays it’s money to them, the prison guard union might not like that.
To make the whole proposal more target, we might switch from paying the full bonus to the prison and pay half of it to the prison and the other half to the employees directly.
An incomplete accounting suggests that prison guard unions outspend private prisons, which could reverse “This incentive is strong for public prisons and doubly strong for private prisons.” So whatever negative effects one expected from private prison political advocacy, at least double that. (The important part isn’t “sides” on that but rather the magnitude of political lobbying.)
(I feel I should note that public unions will spend effort lobbying to increase workers’ share of the prison costs, not just to increase the number of prisoners or guard jobs. I could not tell you the breakdown between advocacy for “tough on crime” and for more pension protection.)
Workers that are union members. I don’t know whether a CBT therapist would be included. If a prison suddenly starts hiring all sorts of specialists that aren’t prison guards and pays it’s money to them, the prison guard union might not like that.
To make the whole proposal more target, we might switch from paying the full bonus to the prison and pay half of it to the prison and the other half to the employees directly.