NCJ Number
142133
Date Published
1992
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The movement to privatize corrections in the U.S. began to gain momentum in the mid-1980's; in 1983, only four States had privately operated detention centers, under contract to the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and a fifth State was in the process of planning a facility to house local offenders.
Abstract
There are several ways the private sector may be involved in corrections: the private management model, the private sector development model, and the private services provision model. The advantages of privatization are said to lie in its cost efficiency and ability to bring facilities on-line quickly in response to a court order requiring additional capacity to relieve overcrowding. Opponents believe that it is the responsibility of the government to operate corrections and that private companies would tend to put profits ahead of the public interest. By the end of 1988, there were 20 privately owned correctional facilities operating at the Federal, State, and local levels. While the pace of privatization has been slower than many experts predicted, an increasing number of State legislatures are taking a stand on the issue, one way or another. The early emphasis on housing special prison populations through contracts is continuing, although some jurisdictions are now contracting for housing general populations. The size, type, and classification of privately owned facilities is changing, and private contractors are becoming increasingly proactive. However, at the present, there is still no strong pattern developing to indicate that privatization will be the wave of the future in corrections. 11 references and 3 appendixes