Ethics in the hollow state: Distinguishing between nonprofit and for-profit agents of prisoner reentry

Abstract

New public management, a reform movement that shifted the provision of public goods and services towards private institutions, is firmly entrenched in the United States. The Hollow State, a metaphor often used synonymously with contracting out, reflects the growing trend of using non-governmental networks-often nonprofits but also for-profit organizations-to deliver social services to vulnerable groups. This article, which draws from the author's dissertation, examines differences in nonprofit and for-profit prisoner reentry agencies. The findings suggest that nonprofit/forprofit differences are eroding as the nonprofit sector becomes more competitive with the private sector for government contracts.