The Politics of Correctional Privatization in the United States

Research Summary: Private correctional firms are political actors. They work to create favorable conditions to market their services. At the same time, they are constrained by external political forces, including political parties, social movements, and public opinion. This article reviews what we know about the reciprocal relationship between the private corrections industry and politics. Policy Implications: The review of extant research yields several implications for practitioners and policymakers. First, correctional privatization is not uniformly accepted, a fact that presents challenges for the industry and opportunities for critics. Second, punitive policies that appear beneficial to industry (particularly, those related to tough immigration policy) may in fact pose real reputational risks. Third, new forms of privatization—namely, social impact bonds—may prove more tolerable to the general public. Finally, consideration of political activity by private industry should not distract from political activity by public sector actors (e.g., prison guard unions).

Privatizing Correctional Institutions: An Organizational Perspective

The privatization of jails and prisons became a growth industry during the second half of the 1980s and the 1990s. Although the private sector has provided diverse services for adult correctional institutions for a long time during the 20th century, the operation and management of entire facilities is a relatively new phenomenon. This article analyzes, on a theoretical level, the organizational changes that occur when private corporations are contracted to operate adult correctional facilities. The major theoretical concepts reviewed are goal orientation, cui bono—who are the primary beneficiaries of the organization, the organization-set, and “steering versus rowing.” This article concludes with some suggestions that should be taken into consideration when correctional privatization decisions are being made.

Changing of the Guard: A Case for Privatization of Texas Prisons

The privatization of prisons is an idea whose time seems to have come in the United States. Although still a small fraction of the total number of correctional facilities and beds overall, the size of the private sector presence in recent years has increased rapidly. The present article reviews the historical record of correctional privatization in Texas and examines more recent data and issues in that state and elsewhere, to argue that the accelerated growth of the private prison industry is a change for the good.