[mirntyfirty]

The value they create doesn’t reduce the public fund contributions.

[colinmhayes]

of course it does. The prison companies would charge more if they didn't have the prison labor.

[yywwbbn]

I’m not sure if this specific market is really that free, more likely they’d continue charging as much as they can get away with. Also relatively few prisons are private.

[colinmhayes]

At public prison it's even more clear that using prisoners as slaves saves the state money.

[mirntyfirty]

If this is clear....where is the evidence?

[colinmhayes]

Paying people for their work tautologically costs more than not paying them. YOu need evidence for that?

[yywwbbn]

The money saved can be wasted or used to build new prisons since there might not be much pressure (political or market) to put it back into the state budget.

You know what would be the best way to save money? Cut the prison population in half..