Way to paint with a broad brush! The article is from an American news paper - there's obviously quite a few Americans who believe that while crime needs to be punished, it must be done in a safe, humane way.
If the privately run prison is not meeting spec, then at the very least the regulating authority (the state government) shares at least half of the blame. They are contracting for a service, and perhaps not screening bids that are unrealistic, and are not monitoring the contractor for compliance, or possibly not competently putting together the contract so that adequate oversight is possible.
Whether run by the state or a company, the state is ultimately responsible for the activities at these institutions. There are plenty of examples of state run prisons that compare to these privately run examples.
No. The one ultimately responsible for the actions are the ones doing it. The appalling conditions at these prisons is first, foremost, and primarily the fault of the company running them. Trying to bring the state into this discussion is trying to cloud the air and take responsibility off the companies doing these things, usually for the unrelentless pursuit of more profit.
And these companies are also making it their job. I am not willing to abdicate their responsibility in the matter. They are the ones that chose, of their own free will, to push these appalling conditions onto people.
If the privately run prison is not meeting spec, then at the very least the regulating authority (the state government) shares at least half of the blame. They are contracting for a service, and perhaps not screening bids that are unrealistic, and are not monitoring the contractor for compliance, or possibly not competently putting together the contract so that adequate oversight is possible.
Whether run by the state or a company, the state is ultimately responsible for the activities at these institutions. There are plenty of examples of state run prisons that compare to these privately run examples.