There are many states that allow private prisons. There have been multiple articles about how awful these prisons are. Why not try to open a non-profit prison where gov't funds are supplemented with donations and focusing on rehabilitation and humane living conditions. Then we both improve the lives of some inmates, and can more effectively compare outcomes.
Edit: not to mention the $890K they spent on lobbying.
[1]: http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/11/117983/201...
The basic problem is still the tiny amount spent per prisoner on anything other than keeping them locked up. We need to spend more if we want them to not just be heading straight back to jail.
* Prisoners would be treated better
* Whatever small profits could be pumped into rehabilitation
Currently for-profit prisons have perverse incentives, like claiming prisoners have behaved badly and therefore extending their sentences.
We need to change what we pay for - no more paying for each prisoner locked up, lets pay for each prisoner that avoids reoffending. We want people that come out of prison to not go around committing more crimes. For profit might help here in that they may try innovative approaches that achieve this aim - we just have to give them the right incentives.
Having said this I actually think a for profit model with the right incentives might be the best way to go. The current incentive structure for private prisons basically encourages a revolving door since they are paid per prisoner per day.
What we need is smarter incentives that encourage prisons to help ex-prisioners to not reoffend. The problem is not the small share of spend going towards private profits, by a system that encourages the prisons to always be full.