The privatization of prisons has been controversial primarily because of concerns about:

Question

Accepted Answer

Profit motives potentially conflicting with the goals of rehabilitation and public safety. The privatization of prisons  -  in which government contracts with private companies to house inmates  -  has generated significant controversy primarily because of concerns that the profit motive inherent in private business may conflict with the public interest goals of corrections, including rehabilitation, public safety, and humane treatment of inmates. Critics argue that private prison companies have a financial incentive to maximize occupancy, lobby for policies that increase incarceration, and cut costs in ways that compromise quality of care, staffing levels, and programming.

Private prisons have generally not been found to be more lenient than government facilities  -  in fact, some studies have found higher rates of violence, fewer rehabilitative programs, and more complaints about conditions. Private prison employees typically earn less, not more, than their government counterparts, contributing to higher staff turnover rates in private facilities. Private prisons accept all types of inmates assigned to them by government agencies, though some contracts may exclude inmates requiring specialized medical or mental health care.

The private prison industry grew significantly during the prison boom of the 1980s and 1990s, with companies like CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America) and GEO Group becoming major corporations. Research on whether private prisons save money or improve outcomes has produced mixed results. Some states and the federal government have moved to reduce or eliminate the use of private prisons, while others continue to expand their use. Understanding the debate over prison privatization is important for the DSST exam because it raises fundamental questions about whether the government's coercive power to imprison individuals should be delegated to profit-seeking entities.

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