NCJ Number
145943
Journal
Crime, Law and Social Change Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 113-138
Date Published
1993
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This discussion of the privatization of correctional institutions focuses on the corporate context of this trend.
Abstract
The article reviews the theoretical, legal, political, regulatory, economic, management, and labor issues associated with corporate privatization. It considers aspects of organizational climate and corporate deviance. Corporate involvement in correctional privatization amplifies the political influence of the private sector on correctional policymaking. Through political lobbying, political action committees, and campaign contributions, corporations are likely to continue and even accelerate incarceration policies that will lead to the construction of more prisons and more corporate profits. Profitmaking will be rationally and systematically pursued by a corporation that must show profits for investors. Profitmaking priority may stimulate unethical or even illegal practices. Rigorous governmental monitoring of contract compliance will cost extra money for the government. Legal suits against corporations will be problematic and costly because of corporations resources for long-term litigation. Because of the many potential damaging scenarios of corporate involvement in the privatization of corrections, governments' revamping and upgrading of public prisons may be preferable. 10 notes and 139 references