Abstract
Corrections is one of the largest growth industries of the 1990s. Correctional budgets are increasing faster than almost any other category in the public sector. Faced with the dilemma of these growing costs, legislators are exploring privatization as a cost-saving measure. Privatization can take many forms, but privatizing prison operations is arguably the most controversial attempt at cost saving. In reviewing the prison privatization literature, conclusions regarding cost savings are mixed. This paper assesses the quality and quantity of empirical research on cost effectiveness of private versus public prison management, and to assess the impact of that research on the conclusions drawn in the privatization literature.
