Across the country, states are taking back prisons once run by private companies. Oklahoma just bought the Lawton facility for $312 million, ending its last private prison contract. New Mexico is phasing out its last private prison after 27 years. And Texas is bringing seven privately operated state jails under public control as contracts expire and lawmakers approve funding for direct operation.

That sounds like reform, but it is not — at least, not the kind that matters.

The problem has never been the logo on the gate. It is what government pays for and what it requires. Private operators must still follow state policies and inspections while accepting payment terms that reward occupancy. They deliver the results those incentives produce. If the culture stays the same and the payments

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