American Prison

This narration follows journalist Shane Bauer’s firsthand investigation into the American private prison system. Rather than observing from a distance, he steps inside—taking a job as a correctional officer—so he can understand the daily realities that statistics and official tours often miss.

Across seven chapters, the story traces how private incarceration grew from historical loopholes in law, how the job reshapes guards as much as it confines prisoners, and why a business model built on cost-cutting can clash with basic healthcare, safety, and human rights. The focus is not on sensational moments, but on the quiet, repeating conditions that make harm feel normal.

• Listeners who want a clear, human-centered understanding of why prison reform is widely debated in the United States
• Anyone curious about how systems—especially profit-driven ones—shape everyday behavior, ethics, and empathy
• People interested in investigative journalism and what it can reveal when institutions are difficult to access

Shane Bauer is an investigative journalist who reported from conflict zones and was previously imprisoned in Iran for more than two years, including time in solitary confinement. Drawing on that experience and his reporting skills, he later conducted an undercover investigation inside an American private prison, documenting what he saw from the perspective of a working correctional officer.