Photo via Flickr user kennethlipp
After years of scathing criticism from advocacy groups and journalists alike, the feds are planning to end the use of private facilities in the federal prison system, as the Washington Post reports."[Private prisons] simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources," Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates wrote in an internal memo. "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."Yates advised officials to decline renewal of active contracts with private correctional companies, which as of December housed roughly 12 percent of the total federal prison population. If all contract renewals are denied, private federal prisons could be a thing of the past within five years.Of course, that doesn't mean some states and localities won't still have private jails and prisons. It's also unclear if the many detainees in private facilities contracted by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement will see any change at all. Finally, Donald Trump's professed love for privatization could theoretically lead to the federal decision's reversal should he win the White House. As of Thursday, however, that scenario seemed extremely unlikely.Read: Who's Getting Rich off the Prison-Industrial Complex?