Does this include housing, food, healthcare, etc. for Harvard figure? Looks like not, so the comparison is kinda meaningless.

Also:

   The price for each inmate has doubled since 2005, even as
   court orders related to overcrowding have reduced the 
   population by about one-quarter. Salaries and benefits for 
   prison guards and medical providers drove much of the increase.

I looked for the word "union" in the article and it's not there. I guess it's an unsolvable mystery why the costs raise. And even if the number of inmates declines (as it already did, according to the article) would the workforce be reduced? Doesn't look likely, unions are very powerful voting blocks.