With taxpayers clearly demanding that criminals be put in prison and kept in longer, there seems to be no choice but to increase the capacity of the prison system. But with popular pressure to cut government spending, funding the increase will be difficult. Legislators face a lot of pressure to hold the line on corrections spending, and fewer than half of referendums to approve bond financing of new prisons are being approved by voters. This has led federal, state, and local officials to consider how the private sector can become involved in corrections, to lower costs while maintaining or even improving the quality of services, and help cope with the growing number of prisoners without busting the budget. This study surveys the evidence on what private prisons have to offer and the evidence on how they have performed.
Private firms operate several maximum security facilities, and dozens of medium security ones.
Other evidence of cost savings is examined as well. Cost savings are achieved through innovation and efficient management practices. The evidence is overwhelming that the private sector delivers quality correctional services at lower cost, to the benefit of taxpayers. All rights reserved.