Chapter 56 A Conversation Between Three Generations

With reduced budgets, prison management teams either cut employee benefits and wages or lowered the food standards for inmates. Either option would attract criticism and protests.

These politicians rely on public votes to get into office, so after a few stubborn politicians tried and suffered heavy losses, no one ever considered this idea again.

Privatizing prisons is indeed a good solution. Even if problems arise, the private companies responsible for running the prisons would take the blame, and it wouldn't really affect these politicians.

After all, this was the result of a vote by a large number of state legislators. If anything went wrong, they could just shift the blame to the state legislature.

The biggest advantage of prison privatization is that annual fiscal spending on prisons would directly decrease by twenty-five percent, freeing up at least hundreds of millions of dollars each year for other uses. Think of all the major things that could be accomplished with that.

The only concern is whether these people's methods of managing prisons might be too harsh. If inmate abuse occurred, things could get really serious.

"Renoson, how do you get those inmates to willingly spend money in prison, and how do you get them to willingly work in prison factories?

As long as you can guarantee no inmate abuse and avoid protests from human rights organizations, it should be fine."

Reynoldson Rockefeller replied confidently, "Let me give a few examples. We provide inmates with low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar diet meals.

From a scientific perspective, this food is very beneficial for the inmates' health. It's a menu specially designed by nutritionists we hired at a high cost.

The only downside to these diet meals is that they taste terrible. Eating one meal is fine, but I believe no one could eat them for a week.

I tried eating this stuff at home for three days, and only three days. In the end, just seeing these diet meals made me gag by the table.

And that was with a high-end chef we specially hired at home cooking them carefully. If any inmate can eat them for a whole week, I'd respect them as a real man.

Neither human rights organizations nor major media outlets could find any fault with it, because our intention is genuinely for the inmates' health, and this stuff really is good for their health.

If they don't want to eat this, they have to spend money on other food. Either their families send them living expenses, or they go work in prison factories to earn money for food.

Moreover, the factories in the prisons are established under the guise of providing inmates with vocational training and something to pass the time, so it's normal for the wages to be a bit low..."

"Fuck~ You damn bastards are really heartless!"

Jay Rockefeller couldn't help but swear. This curse left David Rockefeller and Reynoldson Rockefeller stunned.

David Rockefeller pursed his dry lips.

"Jay, the process doesn't matter; only the outcome does. Just tell me how feasible this operation is and if there are any legal issues."

Jay Rockefeller took a deep breath.

"Uncle, whether this business can make money requires professional research to know.

From a politician's standpoint, their operational methods and packaging logic are completely viable. And I guarantee the West Virginia State Legislature will pass this proposal with high votes. There are no issues with legislation either.

It's just that this business is really unethical. Everyone knows what's going on, but no one can argue against it.

Not being able to argue against it doesn't mean everyone approves of this business. It gives a very bad reputation."

Upon learning there would be no issues with the state government, state legislature, or laws, David Rockefeller smiled with satisfaction.

"Reputation is completely unimportant. In fact, before calling you back, I had already arranged for a specialized assessment.

Based on the current number of prisons and inmates in America, this business, once monopolized, could generate nearly ten billion dollars in profit annually—note, pure profit.

And this business can be sustained long-term. As long as there are inmates in prisons, we can keep making money.

The only slightly difficult part is lobbying the politicians in the state governments and legislatures.

But with the participation of major families like Morgan, Roosevelt, Delano, Koch, DuPont, Vanderbilt, and Astor, this will become incredibly easy.

Aren't you serving as the governor of West Virginia? We can handle West Virginia effortlessly.

Additionally, our family has deep influence in Arkansas and Rhode Island. We can easily secure prison business in three states without lifting a finger. What about the other eight families? Are they just sitting around doing nothing?

Then, Renoson can register all the shares under an overseas company established in the Cayman Islands or the British Virgin Islands. As long as it's not publicly listed, no one will be able to trace the shareholders.

As for reputation, it doesn't really matter. Those who would criticize us will still criticize us. Why worry about that?

Renoson isn't pursuing a political career anyway, so reputation isn't very useful to him.

Renoson has given me quite a pleasant surprise this time. I'm very satisfied.

The startup funds I promised you will be transferred to your personal account. Remember to pay it back once you start making money.

The family will also use its connections to help you secure as many prison management rights as possible. That's all for today. You may leave."

After finishing his business, David Rockefeller immediately dismissed them, not bothering with any extra words.

Similar conversations were repeated within families like Morgan, Roosevelt, Delano, Koch, and others.

No one worried that Wang Xiuyuan was setting them up. They didn't believe anyone in the world would dare offend so many major families all at once.

With a complete commercial research and assessment system and corresponding political risk assessment teams overseeing things, the leaders of these families couldn't find any reason to refuse. After all, who doesn't like money?

In less than half a month, huge sums of money quickly flowed into the accounts of three private prison companies.

The political connections of the nine major families began operating efficiently. Legislators in various state legislatures across America continuously proposed cuts to prison budgets.

The honorable legislators in the state legislatures debated this issue for several weeks until finally, a legislator stood up and proposed handing prisons over to private contractors. Thus, America's vigorous prison privatization process began.

Reynoldson Rockefeller's CAA Group, Devik Morgan's GEO Group, and Locke Vanderbilt's MTC Group quickly secured management rights for one maximum-security prison after another across America.

What surprised Wang Xiuyuan the most was that the connections of these major families far exceeded his imagination.

Originally, he thought getting fiscal subsidies at sixty percent of the current prison operating costs would be good enough. But after these major families stepped in, they managed to negotiate it up to eighty percent.

Moreover, within a week of signing the contracts, the first year's fiscal subsidy funds would be transferred to their company accounts, meaning they were essentially using borrowed resources to generate profit.

The most crucial point was that as long as they could successfully operate these prisons for eight years, the ownership, land, and attached buildings of these prisons would all be transferred to the operators. Just these assets alone would be worth a lot of money."