Despite recent state and federal legislation to reduce criminal penalties and free many non-violent prisoners, it appears that the private prison industry, including industry leaders GEO Group and the Corrections Corporation of America, the nation’s largest private jailers, will continue to expand.
Private prisons have been a growth business for years.
This may seem counter-intuitive, and many predict a downturn in the privatization trend, but there is serious money to be made if you take advantage of the market for small, specialty prisons.
With innovation in privatization, especially mini-prisons, costs are down. Elimination of pesky prison guard union restrictions (i.e. high wages) are a major way to cut costs. So you don’t have to be a huge, multi-million dollar enterprise to get in the incarceration business.
Youth and Women
Model prisoners: With the popularity of the hit TV show, “Orange is the New Black”, prison is more fashionable with today’s young ladies!
Another niche market for the private prison operator is to specialize in women and children. Typically, such lockups are less expensive to build, and the whole family will fight over who gets guard duty! Think about making your facilities “kid friendly” and more flexible to respond to a wide variety of sentencing guidelines.
These kids are learning valuable lessons that will help them be successful when they are released.
Equipment Market Expands
One company that is making a move to expand opportunities in this sector is the Handcuff Warehouse. They are developing complete packages of equipment that can be used to create a medium-security “mini-prison” that can be deployed in a home environment, such as an unused room, in the basement, or in a garage.
But wait…there’s more!
By selling the (required) uniforms to prisoners, and crafting a few regulations, you can boost your revenue with little or no effort. For example: Make clean uniforms a requirement for meals, then charge $10 per uniform for laundering (a great job for a family member who might not want to be in direct contact with your inmate population).
Other money-makers include phone call fees, drug tests, first aid supplies, “counseling”, shackle rentals (for field trips), and mileage fees for transport to court hearings.
These few moments with outsiders are precious to many inmates, and they will pay “bigtime” for the privilege.
Though typically offered for free in government run prisons, private entrepenuers are also expanding the “visitation racket,” where admission to see a prisoner is based on a per-minute rate.
Different Strokes
Another market that is just beginning to take off is renting facilities to S & M aficionados! These people are often from the upper income population, and will pay top dollar for a night in an unused cell.
Insurance Companies On-board
Running a prison, even a small one in your home, requires liability insurance. You must use careful screening to select prospective “clients.” Occasionally, even though you picked the most docile, well mannered inmates, things can go wrong. Better to plan ahead, and most states will require some sort of insurance before they will drop off any prisoners. Currently, several companies, including State Farm and AAA, offer discounts if you also use them for car and home insurance.
Insurance will give you and your neighbors peace of mind if you encounter an organized resistance by unruly (and ungrateful!) prisoners.
With a well planned mini-prison, escapes are rare, but they do happen and they can be very costly. A good insurance policy can be a godsend when this happens. Just as you select inmates carefully, you should also give high priority to avoid bogus insurance deals.
If you’re really interested in knowing more about this opportunity, please contact halfalert for an informative load of spam, malware, and general B.S. !