The Privatization Of Punishment: Justification, Expectations, And Experience

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Abstract
Interest in the privatization of the American correctional system has increased dramatically during the current decade. A number of arguments have been advanced to justify the transfer of correctional responsibilities from the public to the private sector. As with any reform movement, the reasons adduced in support of the movement should be reflected by the policies and practices that are adopted to operationalize the reform. This paper briefly describes the major rationales adduced to justify privatization, then projects the kinds of policies and practices that would be anticipated in view of these rationales. These projections are compared to the actual experience of the privatization movement during the 1980s. The analysis suggests the existence of a considerable lack of fit between expected and actual policies and practices adopted in the process of privatization. Several explanations for this lack of fit are considered.

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