“SELF-PAY LUXURY JAILS:” This seems kind of third-worldish to me. And I agree with this criticism:

I have a feeling such differential treatment may ultimately do more harm than good. By allowing the wealthiest to “exit” the normal jail system, we lose an important “voice” for making it decent.

Not that there are very many of the “wealthiest” in prison to begin with. But the point holds nonetheless. The counterargument, I guess, is that better accommodations are often available within the prison system to those with clout, and this just evens the odds. I don’t think I buy that, but I suppose some people will feel differently.