Always have found the entire concept of a private prison to be absurd.
So profit motive: How do we do things to make more money?
-paying staff - paying less give more profits, paying more takes away from profits = result, minimum pay they can get away with
-security - cutting it to the absolute minimum they can get away with increases profits, increasing reduces profits = result, minimum security they can get away with.
-rehabilitation - more prisoners equals more profit. rehabilitation would reduce future prisoner numbers and hence profit = result, no incentive whatsoever to rehabilitate prisoners.
For a government service like prisons, the profit motive is entirely a negative force. No prison should be run for profit, no exceptions.
Just in case i attract trolls, the profit motive is like a tool (as is the concept of government owned, or not for profit setups)
They all have their uses, some good, some neutral, some bad. This is why you have a mixed economy. State owned for things that make sense to and likewise for private profit-based setups
This is a case of which the profit motive should never ever be applied, such as there are examples of other things being state owned.
Balance is the key, use the right tool for the right job 
Good points all, but you missed one… lobby extensively at state, local and federal levels for increasingly draconian law enforcement and sentencing, resulting in an increase of the prison population and thus increased net profit.
See also: Hospitals.
Personally, i’d also add public transport, essential utilities and almost all government services to the list too.
Competition remains fierce for the title of “America’s greatest shame”
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