title:  Justice Department Announces It Will No Longer Use Private Prisons
text: Republicans are about to lose a huge source of funding as the Justice Department announces it will phase out its usage of the highly controversial (and highly racist) use of the private prison complex.The DOJ, under the leadership of Loretta Lynch, made the determination after evidence from the Inspector General s office showed private systems were less safe and less effective than state/government run facilities. Consequently, the DOJ has instructed all government contractors not to renew contracts with any private prison operations and to  substantially reduce  already existing contracts.In a statement, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates highlighting the many faults plaguing the private system: They simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources; they do not save substantially on costs; and as noted in a recent report by the Department s Office of Inspector General, they do not maintain the same level of safety and security. Another cause for the discontinuation of the private system was the decline of America s prison population, which once exploded in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As recently as 10 years ago, the Department of Justice, under the Bush Administration, began contracting with private prisons to contain a population made up of seemingly petty crimes that disproportionally affected blacks and other minorities.In total, these 13 private prisons across the country will be losing their government contracts, putting a severe dent in their funding. Considering the report also detailed higher levels of assault   both by inmates and staff   and higher rates of contraband, this is a perfect example of wasteful spending Republicans are always decrying. Luckily, the Obama Administration recognizes this and is taking care of it, all without the help of the GOP.Currently, private prisons account for 12 percent of the nation s prison population at just over 22,000 inmates. According to Corrections Corporation America, the United States spent $639 million on private prisons in the 2014-2015 fiscal budget.Once again, the Obama Administration is cleaning up a big mess made by President Bush.A dark stain on modern America is finally breaking apart. Private prisons, a staple in the age of modern Jim Crow, have outlived their use (if they were ever useful in the first place). The Justice Department s decision to end its contractual obligations is a huge step in the right direction, but it remains to be seen if states like Arizona, who put funding for prisons over education, will follow the lead.Featured image via Allison Shelley/Getty Images