Prison-industrial complex

The term "Prison–industrial Complex" (PIC) is derived from the "military–industrial complex" of the 1950s, and is used to describe the attribution of the rapid expansion of the US inmate population to the political influence of private prison companies and businesses that supply goods and services to government prison agencies for profit. The most common and prominent agents of the PIC are corporations that contract cheap prison labor, construction companies, surveillance technology vendors, companies that operate prison food services and medical facilities,private probation companies, lawyers, and lobby groups that represent them. Activist groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) argue that the PIC perpetuates a flawed belief that imprisonment is an effective solution to social problems such as homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy.

The term 'prison industrial complex' has also been used to describe a similar issue in other countries' prisons of expanding populations.

The portrayal of prison-building/expansion as a means of creating employment opportunities and the utilization of inmate labor are cited as particularly harmful elements of the prison-industrial complex as they boast clear economic benefits at the expense of the incarcerated populous. The term implies a network of participants who prioritize personal financial gain over ensuring one's debt to society is adequately paid or rehabilitating criminals. Proponents of this view, including civil rights organizations such as the Rutherford Institute and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), believe that the desire for monetary gain through prison privatization has led to the vast growth of the prison industry and contributed to the number of incarcerated individuals. Such advocacy groups would assert that incentivizing the construction of more prisons with the potential for profitability will doubtlessly lead to the unjust incarceration of millions more citizens, affecting people of color at disproportionately high rates.

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