Prison guards aren't regularly raking in six figures, they make on average less than police officers.
Ultimately, I think you've got it the other way around. Prisons don't build themselves, contracts are put out for their construction, their vastly overpriced buses, cells, etc.
For example, the absolutely disgusting and dehumanizing water fountain/toilet combo, ensuring that every sip you take you smell and taste feces, costs $2600 while a normal stainless steel toilet runs about $250. Also, private prisons gain the benefits of a conscripted labor force without having to worry about slavery laws.
Corps have co-opted the unions to vote in their interest. After all, they have the carrot of offering a nice, kushy corporate gig. That prison guard's pension isn't going too far.
Follow the money
That doesn't seem very outrageous. Even at $500m in overtime that's only 5% of the total prison budget. You'd probably have to hire up to counter the overtime cost so its not like its more than a few percentage points of waste.
Ultimately, I think you've got it the other way around. Prisons don't build themselves, contracts are put out for their construction, their vastly overpriced buses, cells, etc.
For example, the absolutely disgusting and dehumanizing water fountain/toilet combo, ensuring that every sip you take you smell and taste feces, costs $2600 while a normal stainless steel toilet runs about $250. Also, private prisons gain the benefits of a conscripted labor force without having to worry about slavery laws.
Corps have co-opted the unions to vote in their interest. After all, they have the carrot of offering a nice, kushy corporate gig. That prison guard's pension isn't going too far. Follow the money