Privatizing Prisons: Rhetoric and Reality

The privatization of prisons is a fiercely debated area of penal policy. Those in favor argue it will improve conditions for prisoners, reduce costs for the state, and facilitate innovation. Those against believe accountability for the treatment of prisoners cannot be ensured and that it is the stateÆs absolute and legitimate responsibility to punish those who break the law. Privatizing Prisons is the first detailed account of the privatization of prisons centered around the only full-scale study taken in Britain. The authors provide an up-to-date overview of the development of private-sector involvement in penal practice in the United Kingdom, North America, Europe, and Australia. They describe the first 2 years in the life of Wolds Remand Prisonùthe first private prison in Britainùand compare it to a new public-sector prison. Privatizing Prisons goes on to explore some of the practical and theoretical issues that have emerged, as well as ethical issues surrounding the whole privatization debate, and considers the implications for the future of the prison system and penal policy. Written in a clear and lively style, this invaluable book will be essential reading for students and professionals in criminology, penology, and criminal justice.

Professor Adrian James is Emeritus Professor of Applied Social Sciences at the University of Sheffield.

Alison Liebling is a criminologist at the University of Cambridge and the director of the Institute of Criminology’s Prisons Research Centre. Her main interests lie in the changing form and effects of imprisonment, the role of values in criminal justice, and the role of safety, trust, and fairness in shaping the prison experience. Her program of research has measured the moral quality of prison life, the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies in prison, and values, practices, and outcomes in public and private sector corrections. Her most recent research is on prison privatization and staff–prisoner relationships and prisoner social organization in high security prisons.