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The prison-industrial complex refers to interest groups that represent economic organizations that profit from correctional facilities, such as prison guard unions, construction companies, surveillance technology vendors, and service indsutries. Critics allege that this complex of industries and interest groups is driven more by a concern for profiting from prisons than for rehabilitating criminals or reducing crime rates. The massive growth of these economic organizations since the 1970s has led to them being collectively referred to as the prison-industrial complex.

Writing for The Atlantic Monthly in December 1998, Eric Schlosser claimed that:
 * "The 'prison-industrial complex' is not only a set of interest groups and institutions; it is also a state of mind. The lure of big money is corrupting the nation's criminal-justice system, replacing notions of safety and public service with a drive for higher profits. The eagerness of elected officials to pass tough-on-crime legislation — combined with their unwillingness to disclose the external and social costs of these laws — has encouraged all sorts of financial improprieties."

Geo Group, a world leader in the privatized development and management of prisons, "During the first year of operation, the facility is expected to house 1,086 offenders with a long range goal of the housing bed capacity reaching approximately 2,416 offenders. Food Service is contracted by Aramark and medical services are contracted by Correctional Medical Services."

Critical Resistance, a political interest group that seeks to abolish the prison industrial complex, states that, "The prison industrial complex (PIC) is a complicated system situated at the intersection of governmental and private interests that uses prisons as a solution to social, political, and economic problems. The PIC depends upon the oppressive systems of racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia. It includes human rights violations, the death penalty, industry and labor issues, policing, courts, media, community powerlessness, the imprisonment of political prisoners, and the elimination of dissent."

These views are shared widely by critics of the carceral state, retributive justice, military-industrial complex, the War on Terrorism, the War on Drugs, militarism and Homeland Security.

Media

 * Angela Davis, The Prison Industrial Complex, CD-ROM (Audiobook), AK Press 1999, ISBN 1902593227