Privatisation of Punishment: A Review of the Key Issues (From Private Prisons and Police: Recent Australian Trends, P 37-62, 1994, Paul Moyle, ed. - See NCJ-160698)

• NCJ Number: 160699
• Author(s): J B L Chan
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 26 pages
• Sale Source: Pluto Press Austrialia Limited
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

The theoretical and policy issues related to the privatization of prisons are analyzed, based on a review of the international literature.

Abstract

Proponents of privatization cite the advantages of cost control through competition and an institutional setting that provides superior motivation to discover cheaper and better ways to deliver value. However, the extent to which innovation and efficiency improvement are possible in corrections, the measurement and guarantee of quality of service, and decisions regarding who determines the appropriate level of demand for service are all sources of concern. Evaluation and accountability are other issues. Further concerns are that information about the cost of incarceration will be obscured, that contractors will be financially tempted to increase inmate populations be refusing parole, and that private providers will try to manipulate public opinion and influence elected officials. Finally, a comparison of the movement to privatize with the earlier movement to deinstitutionalize also aids the understanding of several theoretical issues related to privatization. 48 references