PRISON PRIVATIZATION

Prison overcrowding and the costs associated with operating prisons have developed as major public issues over the past two decades (Lemov, 1993, pp. 44-48). The increase in violent crime in the United States in the 1970s, together a plea bargaining process that often appeared to favor offenders, led to public outcries to "get tougher on crime." Both President Reagan and President Bush tapped this vein of public discontent by successfully, if inaccurately, labeling their opponents as being soft on crime. Other politicians, particularly at the state level, jumped on the tough on crime bandwagon.

One outcome of all of this activity were new sentencing guidelines that mandated prison time for more types of offenses and which also lengthened prison stays (Latchkey, 1993, p. 24). While the politicians were getting tough on crime, however, the politicians and citizens--from the federal level right on down to local politicians and citizens voting in bond elections--neglected in some cases and refused in more cases to increase spending on incarceration facilities at the levels required to meet the increasing demand. The outcome, predictably, was prison overcrowding.

Some jurisdictions, in attempts to deal with the problem of prison overcrowding, adopted liberal probation in lieu of incarceration policies for adult non-violent offenders (Scott, 1993, pp. 32D-33D). Such policies have not always worked as intended, however, because some clas

Related Essays

Prison Privatization .... The argument behind the momentum toward prison privatization stems from the overriding misperception that privatization of prisons will be more cost-effective .... (1036 4 )

Issue of Prison Privatization The purpose of this research is to examine the issues surrounding prison privatization in the modern period. The plan of the research .... (3163 13 )

Prison Privatization .... Privatization of the prison system has many advocates who cite the lower cost per year of housing a prisoner ($15,578 versus $16,627) as proof of its success .... (2201 9 )

Evaluation of Prison Privatization Privatizat .... It is the purpose of this report to evaluate issues relevant to and trends in prison privatization, highlighting the pros and cons of this strategy and .... (2208 9 )

Crowded Prisons and Privatization .... noted that the increasing cost of incarceration of a larger a larger population of American offenders is a major motivating factor behind prison privatization. .... (2507 10 )

the recidivism rate, which, in turn, will lead to a reduction in system costs (Mackenzie, Shaw, & Souryal, p. 438). A third goal of such programs is the reduction of overcrowding in prisons (Austin, Jones, & Bolyard, 1992, p. 8). The essential goals and objectives of shock incarceration, thus, are (1) deterrence, (2) rehabilitation, (3) punishment, (4) incapacitation, (5) reduced crowding, and (6) reduced costs (Parent, 1989, pp. 11-12). The key measures of the effectiveness of prison boot camp programs and other corrections programs must be related to the commission of crime. First, therefore, a measure of the effectiveness of such programs is the reduction of the overall crime rate. The underlying basis of this measure is deterrence. Do such programs deter other from the commission of crimes? Second, a measure of the effectiveness of such programs is the reduction of the short-term rate of recidivism. The underlying bases of this measure are deterrence and rehabilitation. Do such programs lead to reductions in the recidivism rate during the corrections period? Third, a measure of the effectiveness of such programs is the reduction of the long-term rate of recidivism. The underlying basis of this measure is rehabilitat

Category: Government - P