To the Point
DOJ to phase out private prisons
Private prisons have long been criticized as selling justice to the highest bidder. Now the Obama Justice Department says it's ending a practice begun during the Reagan Administration. We hear how it began and whether the change will extend to the states, which have many more prisoners than the federal government does.
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenPrivate prisons have long been criticized as selling justice to the highest bidder. Now the Obama Justice Department says it's ending a practice begun during the Reagan Administration. We hear how it began and whether the change will extend to the states, which have many more prisoners than the federal government does.
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3 storiesEpiPen price increases get lawmakers scrutiny
As a new year begins, schools and parents are grappling with a price increase for EpiPens — recommended by Congress for all schools and many public places. It's used against life-threatening allergic reactions that happen fast. One EpiPen cost $57 when the company Mylan took over the product.
Read the story7 minPrivate prisons: justice and profits
Incarcerating criminal convicts is part of the justice system, which is run by government. So, why do we have private prisons? It goes back to the Reagan Administration, the War on Drugs and the crackdown on crime, which led federal prisons to be overcrowded. But the government refused to build new ones.
Read the story35 minRemembering Lou Pearlman, pop Svengali and con man
Lou Pearlman was a pioneer in reality TV and the boy-band industry -- but he was also a crook. One critic says we live, in some respects, in a world he created. It includes reality TV, the Backstreet Boys and 'NSync.
Read the story9 min
