Prisons and the Private Sector

Compiled by Joanna Arlow, April 2000 
[Back to LRB Pubs]

Adult Corrections Program: Informational Paper #56.  Jere M. Bauer, Jr./Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 1999.  (365/W7p)  Evaluates and reports on the fiscal year 1997–98 budget of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.  Information paper discusses the organization, budget, and programs of adult corrections, prison contracts for housing state prisoners in out–of–state facilities, and private business/prison employment work programs.  Charts and graphs for projects during 1997–99.

Alternatives For the Delivery of Government Services, Including Intergovernmental Cooperation and Privatization. University of Wisconsin, Local Government Center, 1998.  (354.59/W7j2)  Discusses all aspects of relinquishing government control of services, including regulation, taxing, and contracts with private entities. Outlines four factors related to privatization and market efficiency, with an emphasis on cost minimization.  Bibliography included.

Beyond Bars: Correctional Reforms to Lower Prison Costs and Reduce Crime.  California Little Hoover Commission, 1998.  (365/C1a)  Comprehensive report of California’s attempt to grapple with prison funding, overcrowding, recidivism, crime, and prisoner education and rehabilitation.  Asserts that private corrections industry has matured and is part of delivering services and improving housing of convicted felons.

Competitive Contracting and Privatization: Options for a More Efficient State Government. Wisconsin Commission on Privatization, 1998.  (354.59/W7L)  Created by 13–member bipartisan commission.  Reports on the goals of the Wisconsin commission to create partnerships between state and business and increase the competition in delivery of state government services.  Includes the commission’s eight recommendations.  Provides applicable references and information on current private contracting process.

“How Correctional Privatization Redefines the Legal Rights of Prisoners.” Charles W. Thomas, The Privatization Review, Winter 1991.  (365/T36)  Article discusses opposition to privatization, including constitutional issues and the legal rights of confined persons, application of 42 U.S.C. 1983 Civil Rights legislation, and the development of pertinent case law.

Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear, 1998.  U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, March 1999.  (365/X10)  Overview of statistics regarding persons held in state or federal correctional facilities, percent changes over previous year, state–by–state numbers, and demographic information of inmates.  Helpful tables and charts.

“Prison–Building Boom.” Congressional Quarterly, Inc., CQ Researcher, September 17, 1999.  (365/C761)  Discusses the issues surrounding the decade–long increase in building of prisons and privatization. Focuses on financing prison construction versus prevention and rehabilitation spending.  Bibliography on prison reform, mandatory sentencing, and privatization of prisons.  Includes interesting discussion on felons and voter disenfranchisement.

Privatization, 1999: Annual Report.  Reason Public Policy Institute, 1999.  (354.59/R23)  Asserts that 1998 was a good year for privatization to reduce costs and increase service quality.  Covers environmental and public health and human services privatization.  Section on “public safety” includes corrections and analysis of why private prisons have advantages over public prisons.

Clippings: (Noncirculating; available for use in the library; clippings prior to 1981 are on microfiche)

•   Correctional Camps: 365.3/Z

•   Prisons and Jails: 365/W7z (Wisconsin); 365/Z (U.S.)

•   Prisons - Treatment of Offenders: 365.41/W7z
(Wisconsin); 365.41/Z (U.S.)

•   Sentencing: 365.4/W7z (Wisconsin); 365.4/Z (U.S.)

•   Women and Prisons: 365.2/Z

BadgerLink: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/badgerlink/ 

A selection of 19 articles printed from EBSCOhost, 1990–2000. (365/P93)

“Busting Into the Prison Business - Corrections Corp. of America Casts Longing Eyes on California.” Marc Lifsher, The Wall Street Journal, May 27, 1998.

“Editorial: Keep State’s Prisons Out of Private Hands.” The Atlanta Constitution, August 13, 1998.

“First Punk Prison to Open: State’s Violent Teens Will Go to Facility Run By a Corporation.” Gary Heinlein, Detroit News, July 6, 1999.

“Keep Close Watch Over Jena Prison.” Times–Picayune (New Orleans, LA), February 28, 2000.

“Portfolio Prisons.” Bruce Shapiro, Nation, vol.265, no.12, October 20, 1997.

“Prison Expert Is Assailed By Academics.” Rafer Guzman, The Wall Street Journal, July 21, 1999.

“Prison Firms Don’t Feel Shackled By Potential Political Obstacles.” Mark Veverka and Marc Lifsher, The Wall Street Journal, May 6, 1998.

“Prisons for Profit.” Ellen Simon, Human Rights: Journal of the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, vol.19, no.2, Spring 1992.

“Private Jails Seen Cutting Recidivism.” John D. McKinnon, The Wall Street Journal, January 14, 1998.

“Private Prisons.” Eric Bates, Nation, vol.266, no.1, January 5, 1998.

“Private Prisons, Criminological Research, and Conflict of Interest: A Case Study.” Gilbert Geis, David Schichor, and Alan Mobley, Crime and Delinquency, vol.45, no.3, July 1999.

“Private Prisons Take Right Approach.” The Atlanta Journal, September 16, 1998.

“Private Prisons: The Bottom Line.” Ted Strickland, The Washington Post, June 13, 1999.

“The Privatization Debate Continues: Tennessee’s Experience Highlights Scope of Controversy Over Private Prisons.” Jim Kyle, Corrections Today, vol.60, no.5, August 1998.

“Privatizing Prisons.” Les Timar, IPA Review, vol.44, no.1, Spring 1990.

“Privatizing Prisons: Wrong Approach.” Wisconsin State Journal, April 5, 1999.

“Public–Private Partnerships in the U.S. Prison System.” Anne Larason Schneider, American Behavioral Scientist, vol.43, no.1, September 1999.  Extensive bibliography.

“The Rise of Prison Inc.” Diane E. Lewis, Boston Globe, September 26, 1999.

“Thinking About Private Prisons.” Richard Lippke, Criminal Justice Ethics, vol.16, no.1, Winter/Spring 1997.

Related Web Sites:

http://www.ucc.uconn.edu/~logan - A “Prison Privatization Research Site.” Contains studies and reports, issues and arguments, informational charts, bibliography, and jump links to other sites.

http://www.correctionscorp.com - Official web site for the biggest provider of private facilities, the Corrections Corporation of America.

http://www.privatemanagement.com - Provides news updates, arguments pro and con, links to other sites.

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/6465/topic.html -
Privatization and public policy debate site by lobby organization. Assesses issues by providing different organizations’ viewpoints, as well as links to bibliography.

http://web.crim.ufl.edu/pcp/html/links.html - Links to related sites.