NCJ Number
100073
Date Published
1985
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This monograph examines the extent and patterns of Federal and State governments' contracting with private companies for the management of juvenile and adult correctional facilities, reviews State laws on private incarceration, and presents arguments for and against private prisons.
Abstract
A recent U.S. Justice Department survey reports there are just over 1,800 privately operated juvenile residential programs confining 3,390 juveniles. Most are under State or local contracts. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Marshal's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have contracted for the private incarceration of adults because of the increasing number of illegal aliens being confined. Currently, State contracts with private firms for the management of adult corrections facilities are limited to community corrections operations, such as work release and halfway houses. Most State statutes do not specifically prohibit private contracting for private incarceration services, and New Mexico and Texas have laws allowing private jail operation. Private industry is also involved in alternative forms of incarceration, such as the manufacture of electronic beeper systems to monitor persons under house arrest, and some private companies are marketing financing packages for correctional facilities. Proponents of private prisons argue for its cost-effectiveness. Opponents argue that it reduces community involvement in corrections and that its profitmaking incentive may reduce the safety and humaneness of facilities. 9 footnotes.