Private Prisons

Corecivic Inc. ($1.74 billion in yearly revenue) and Geo Group ($1.61 billion revenue in 2011) are large companies that make money by building and operating prisons.  More and more prisons are not being operated by the states they are in, rather being run by private companies.  This has resulted in a host of effects even for people not normally associated with corrections and the legal system.

Readings:
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/05/louisiana_is_the_worlds_prison.html
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-26/america-s-rocky-relationship-with-for-profit-prisons
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/08/19/dont-end-federal-private-prisons/?utm_term=.84ea8f3594f8

Questions:
1.  Why is this switch to private prisons happening?  What economic forces might be causing the movement to private prisons?

2.  Should the state have a monopoly on prisons?

3.  Who, if anyone, stands to benefit the most from this switch?
4.  Who, if anyone, is harmed the most by this switch?
5.  In what manner, if at all, should the public benefit from incarcerated individuals?
6.  Is the movement towards private prisons a good change or a bad change?  Why?