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Private Prison Guards Could Prove Costly

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Ah, the old song, “Privatization Gets a New Chance With Cash-Short Local Governments” (June 16). Get rid of all these underworked, overpaid civil servants and all of government’s ills will be instantly and magically cured.

I am a correctional officer with the California Department of Corrections at the Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. And I will be blunt. I work at this job for the good pay, benefits and job security.

It took almost two years from the time I first applied for employment with the CDC until the time I was actually hired. During this time I was required to undergo extensive and time-consuming personal background and medical tests. I was also subjected to a number of written and oral examinations. The purpose of all of this is to weed out those people who may not be suited to this line of work; and make no mistake about it, this work is not for everyone.

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Correctional officers work in some of the most miserable places in the world, with some of the most miserable people in the world. Do the “privatization” boosters really think that Wackenhut (Corrections Corp.) or any of the other discount outfits are going to attract professional, career-oriented officers with their minimum wage and minimal fringe benefits?

Just wait until one of these “rent-a-guards” kill or seriously injure someone, or start a riot because they don’t have the training and temperament to deal with seriously disturbed and violent people. That first lawsuit that the state loses will more than wipe out any potential savings the state may have achieved by contracting out for part-time guards over professional, trained officers.

There are many ways that the state can save money in the prison system, but contracting out to the lowest bidder is not one of them.

D. M. McCLURE

San Diego

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