Premium
PRIVATIZATION AND CORRECTIONS POLICY
Author(s) -
Palumbo Dennis J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.1986.tb00433.x
Subject(s) - principal (computer security) , liberian dollar , argument (complex analysis) , economics , retributive justice , private sector , private enterprise , public policy , law and economics , public economics , public administration , business , economic policy , economic justice , political science , neoclassical economics , finance , economic growth , biochemistry , chemistry , computer science , operating system
Because corrections is a multibillion dollar growth industry it is attractive to profitmaking firms. The issue is not whether private firms should b e involved in corrections, for they already are; the issue i s how much Involvement should there b e and in what areas. The principal argument used in favor of private involvement is that they will be more efficient than public agencies. But, while this may well be true, the problem is, what impact will this have on corrections policy? Will it increase the move toward retribution and away from rehabilitation? Existing private involvement in corrections has been primarily in the direction of finding workable alternatives to prisons. Private profitmaking firms may take us in the opposite direction. A number of other issues and problems of privatization also are discussed.