Can private correctional officers use deadly force? What about riots?
If private firms are managing prisons of every security level, then use of deadly force is bound to come up. Common law allows private citizens to use deadly force in self-defense, defense of another, or to prevent the escape of a felon. Presumably, Supreme Court limitations on use of deadly force by police would apply to civilians as well: it is justified only if it is necessary to prevent escape and there is probable cause to believe the felon poses a significant threat of death or serious injury to someone. Contract terms or state legislation often prescribe more specific guidelines on use of force. There are concerns about private prisons’ ability to bring to bear the force or manpower to quell a riot. There have been only a few riots in private prisons, and most were dealt with appropriately. But in at least one infamous case, at an INS facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the private operator was unable to cope with an uprising; local authorities moved in, and the contract was term
