American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment

As a cofounder of CCA, Hutto brought to the table years of experience in the business of incarceration. After running prison plantations in Texas and then managing Arkansas’s and Virginia’s state penal systems—consistently at a profit—Hutto joined Thomas Beasley and Robert Crants to form CCA and take advantage of the then-skyrocketing prison population. Bauer presents two different images of Hutto: the elderly, “warm-faced grandfather who likes to repeat the ‘lost my thumb’ trick to children” (14) and the ruthless businessman who sacrifices the welfare of his inmates on the altar of profit. It’s worth noting that when Arkansas governor Dale Bumpers hired Hutto to run the state’s prison system, he did so with a mandate of “humanizing” the convict labor farms (Estrin, James. “Showcase: A Wide View of a Hellish World.” The New York Times. May 27, 2009). Hutto, with degrees in history and sociology, also saw rehabilitation as the successful endgame to incarceration, but with state legislators haranguing him about profits, he ultimately chose appeasement and job security. For like-minded entrepreneurs who want to profit off the warehousing of inmates, Hutto is the elder statesman, revered by his stockholders but too deeply entrenched in his business model and too removed by age and time to fully appreciate the human cost of his legacy.

Like many of the characters in American Prison, Bacle has a multifaceted personality. Sometimes he is as apathetic and harsh as much of the staff, treating inmates as animals. Other times—such as when SORT officers are present—he seems a humanitarian by contrast, bending the rules and urging the tactical officers to lighten up. Bacle is Bauer’s first and seemingly only partner, a mentor who advocates developing a “rapport with some of the inmates” (138). He respects the autonomy of orderlies, allowing them to do their jobs without interference. He gives his lunch to the ”key orderly” and offers an agitated inmate cigarettes to calm him down. He is a harsh critic of CCA’s low wages and its tendency to cut corners. In his mind, the company is worth little more than a paycheck and certainly not worth risking his life for. With years of experience under his belt, Bacle is simply counting down the days until retirement. Until then, he is willing to throw the rule book out the window and improvise if it means order and safety on the tier.

Corner Store is a 37-year-old inmate who has spent half his life behind bars. His time in prison has given him a confidence that Bauer admires. He understands the system and how to survive within it, even using that knowledge to help younger inmates—primarily by educating them on the importance of not falling into a dominant/submissive relationship with another inmate for protection. More than any other inmate, with the possible exception of Derik, Bauer develops a camaraderie with Corner Store, seeing him as misunderstood and a victim of an oppressive society. Bauer is shocked when he finds out that Corner Store has been incarcerated for “armed robbery and forcible rape” (277). Having spent so much time in prison, Corner Store, although he eagerly anticipates his release, seems in no rush to leave. Louisiana law stipulates that no inmate can be released without a permanent address, and until officials track down his father, Corner Store remains incarcerated for a year after his parole date. The prison culture is so ingrained in his psyche, reintegration becomes an insurmountable challenge, and a year after his release, he is arrested and incarcerated once again.

Bauer encounters Coestly during his first assignment on suicide watch. The mentality of guards watching the two-cell facility tends to be suspicious and jaded rather than protective and empathetic. They assume inmates like Coestly are trying to manipulate the system rather than honestly needing mental health care. Unfortunately, Coestly’s incarceration is all too predictable given his backstory, which includes a drug-abusing mother, two brothers in prison, and a father who is either incarcerated or dead. In prison for murder, Coestly believes he hears the voice of his murder victim urging him to kill himself, and he pleads for help. Fellow inmates and prison counselors all confirm Coestly’s suicidal tendencies, yet despite being put on suicide watch 17 times during his incarceration at Winn, he never receives adequate care. Coestly eventually kills himself shortly after his 33rd birthday. The tragedy of Coestly’s death is a direct consequence of prioritizing profit over care. Health care at Winn is kept at a bare minimum in order to cut costs, and as a result Coestly’s dire predictions of his own death become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Derik Johnson embodies the duality of Bauer’s prison experience. Initially, he appears to be a calm, thoughtful presence and someone who dispenses useful advice. Bauer sees him as a possible bridge between the authority of the staff and the anger and resentment of the inmates. Derik shows keen insight into human behavior, particularly Bauer’s. He senses his insecurity and his desire to do the right thing, but he also sees his struggle between empathy and the all-too-human desire for respect—a struggle he can use to his advantage. Over time, Bauer grows suspicious of Derik’s motives and is fearful that the inmate is trying to manipulate him and take advantage of his kindness. He also witnesses flashes of anger and violence, a disturbing reminder that Derik is incarcerated for a reason. In many respects, Derik is a mirror of Bauer’s own aspirations. He wants to trust the inmate and to see him as a victim of an oppressive system. He may very well be that, but like all human beings Derik is more than another man’s view of him. He is insightful, introspective, manipulative, violent, rebellious, and likely much more.