IRE Radio Podcast | Profiting from Prisoners

Prisons have long posed a challenge for investigative journalists. And when you’re trying to report on a private prison ­– one owned by a company, not the government – the situation becomes even more challenging. On this episode, we’re talking to three reporters who managed to pull back the curtain on the for-profit prison system. Shane Bauer describes his risky decision to go undercover as a prison guard on assignment for Mother Jones. Then Marshall Project reporters Eli Hager and Alysia Santo take us through their less extreme but equally powerful investigation into the dangerous and deadly world of prisoner transportation companies.

As always, you can find us on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. If you have a story you think we should feature on the show, drop us a note at web@ire.org. We’d love to hear from you.

EPISODE NOTES

Looking for links to the stories, resources and events we discussed on this week's podcast? We've collected them for you.

• Read Shane Bauer’s report for Mother Jones on the Corrections Corporation of America and his four months as a private prison guard. 
• Read a piece by editor Clara Jeffery about why Mother Jones decided to send a reporter undercover.

• Listen to an hour-long podcast on Shane’s experience, produced by Reveal. The story includes audio from inside the prison. 
• Read Eli Hager and Alysia Santo’s Marshall Project investigation into private prisoner transportation companies.
• Learn how to investigate private prisoner transport in your state. The Marshall Project put together a handy guide.

CREDITS

Brett Murphy produced this episode. IRE Web Editor Sarah Hutchins edits the podcast. We are recorded in the studios of KBIA at the University of Missouri. 

MUSIC

Driftwood - Podington Bear

Blammo - Podington Bear

Bad Scene - Podington Bear

Dole It Out - Podington Bear

Operatives - Podington Bear

Roscoe - Podington Bear

Dolce Beat - Podington Bear

Cylinder Six - Chris Zabriskie