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Are privately managed prisons a solution to helping solve Alabama's prisons problems? Birmingham civic group to listen to CEO of nation's largest private prison company discuss issue Tuesday

What to do about Alabama's overcrowded and dangerous prisons has drawn a lot of attention the past few years and they will again today at the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham.

But don't expect to hear a discussion about the issue from the state's prison commissioner or Gov. Robert J. Bentley who has proposed to borrow $700 million to build four new prisons. The new prisons will replace most of the state's aging and overcrowded prisons, including a new prison for women.

Bentley's plan is awaiting final action in the Legislature.

Instead of Bentley or prison Commissioner Jeff Dunn, the Kiwanis Club today will hear from a man whose company has become very profitable in the prison business, specifically the privatization of prisons.

Damon T. Hininger, president and CEO of Corrections Corporation of America will speak to the Kiwanis this afternoon at the Harbert Center.

CCA is the largest private corrections company in America. It manages 65 prisons and detention centers that combined hold up to 90,000 inmates.

The company has passed the $1.7 billion mark in revenues.

While there are no CCA managed prisons in Alabama, the company operates a number of prisons that virtually ring Alabama including in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

Privatization of prisons has been seen by some as a way for states to save dollars in operating prisons.

But critics have charged repeatedly over the years that prison privatization leads to a dangerous decrease in inmate supervision. Critics charge lack of supervision has led to increases in violence in prisons which they charge has led to too many inmate deaths.