[jbmchuck]

I suspect that is true but here is the difference: organizations that benefit from fewer prisons have a multitude of other things they benefit from (and can lobby for). Private prison operators on the other hand really only have one thing that can improve their bottom line at the end of the day - more prisons.

Outside of a few non-profit orgs I suspect there aren't a lot of dollars lobbying for fewer prisons, it's not a great look and it's easily to spin as "company X doesn't want to lock up violent criminals!

On the other hand that's really the only agenda item private prison operators put their lobbying dollars toward.

[plemer]

“Dispersed cost, concentrated gain”

[epicureanideal]

We need a way to concentrate the gains of things going in the other direction as well.