Prison for Profit

The Mangaung Prison was South Africa’s first privately run penitentiary. Its operator, the multi-billion-dollar British security firm G4S, promised humane treatment and the best facilities for its nearly 3,000 prisoners — at the lowest cost. Filmmakers following findings of investigative journalist Ruth Hopkins expose the reality of prison privatization. Leaked surveillance videos and testimonies from guards and former prisoners reveal stories of excessive violence, neglect and unimaginable forms of torture. ”Prison for Profit” shows how this profit maximization system works, and what happens when governmental tasks like detention are outsourced to powerful international corporations.