[Zetaphor]

Many of the prison systems in the US are privatized

[metalcrow]

The United Kingdom also extensively uses private prisons, along with Japan and Australia, among others. If that is it then it would be a lobbying problem specific to the US, which seems like it could be pinpointed to more specific laws or sentencing guidelines.

[acuozzo]

Only 8% of prisoners in the US are kept in private facilities.

[Anonbrit]

But that 8% is almost as many prisoners as comparable countries have, total. The lobbying and sometimes outright corruption around private prisons doesn't care if it also feeds people into non-private prisons as long as it also feeds the private prison beast