The politics of correctional privatization in the United States

Abstract

Research Summary: Private correctional firms are political actors. They work to create favorable conditions to market their services. At the same time, they are constrained by external political forces, including political parties, social movements, and public opinion. In this article, I review what we know about the reciprocal relationship between the private corrections industry and politics. Policy Implications: Through my review of extant research, I discover several implications for practitioners and policy makers. First, correctional privatization is not uniformly accepted, a fact that presents challenges for the industry and opportunities for critics. Second, punitive policies that seem beneficial to industry (particularly those related to tough immigration policy) may in fact pose real reputational risks. Third, new forms of privatization—namely, social impact bonds—may prove more tolerable to the general public. Finally, consideration of political activity by private industry should not distract from political activity by public-sector actors (e.g., prison guard unions).