NCJ Number
156947
Date Published
1995
Length
44 pages
Annotation
A selection of articles and other publications concerning prisons is presented.
Abstract
This document is a collection of articles discussing various issues involving prisons and the economic interests involved in their expansion. Issues discussed are the private sector management of adult correctional facilities, expansion of prison facilities economically benefiting local communities particularly in rural areas, the boom in prison construction fueled by recent legislation such as the three-strikes law, and increased sales of anticrime security product. The newspapers represented include the Washington Post, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, and the New Orleans Times- Picayune. The articles appeared in the respective newspapers between May 12, 1994 and April 1, 1995. A 20- page journal article entitled Public Imprisonment by Private Means--The Re-emergence of Private Prisons and Jails in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia by Douglas C. McDonald (1994) surveys developments in the countries that have moved to delegate operations of imprisonment facilities to private entities. The first section of the article provides a thumbnail sketch of developments in these countries since the early 1980s, followed with a discussion of why private imprisonment emerged during this period. Some of the principal issues raised by private imprisonment, including some of the important research questions, are identified and discussed briefly. References are provided. This article appears to have been taken from a publication entitled Prisons In Context, edited by Roy D. King and Mike Maguire.