A small number of jurisdictions in the English speaking world - the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and South Africa - have contracted the management of entire prisons, including custodial services, to private companies. A significant number of independent studies of these prisons have been undertaken in the USA, the UK and Australia.

A growing number of countries around the world, including France, Germany and Japan, are now establishing PPPs in prisons, contracting out the management of support services, in some cases including medical and educational support and perimeter guarding.

(Please note: links on this page will open the page in a new browser window)

General

Carter But Smarter: Transforming offender management, reducing reoffending (PDF)
Max Chambers, 2010
Policy Exchange
This report warns that the official reoffending rate is unsafe. It recommends a radical shake-up of the criminal justice system in order to reduce reoffending, including the abolition of the regional structure of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the introduction of new public-private partnerships to reduce crime and recidivism.

UK

Public-Private Partnerships for Corrections in California: Bridging the Gap Between Crisis and Reform (PDF)
Gilroy, Leonard C; Summers, Adam B; Randazzo, Anthony and Kenny, Harris, 2010
Reason Foundation/Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation

A study calculating potential cost savings that could be achieved by California's state government through greater use of PPPs and competition in corrections services.

Inquiry into the Privatisation of Prisons and Prison Related Services (PDF)
NSW Legislative Council, 2009

This extensive report details the impact of private prison operation on service quality, comparative cost between public and private management, accountability of private prisons and empirical evidence of private prisons in Australia and elsewhere.

Australia

Privatisation of Prisons Update
Gareth Griffith and Tom Edwards, 2009
NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service

This 'e-brief' updates the analysis offered by Lenny Roth in 'Privatisation of Prisons'. That paper presented a detailed account of the history and operation of private prisons, outlined the arguments for and against prison privatisation, and assessed the issue of accountability. This paper updates the context within which the prison reform debate in New South Wales is taking place, including state government plans to for wide-ranging prison reform in NSW and the response to these as well as recent research developments elsewhere in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

The Procurement of Goods and Services by HM Prison Service (PDF)
Public Accounts Committee, 2009
Stationery Office H71
In 2003 the PAC published a report criticising procurement by the Prison Service. This report assesses the progress made in addressing this wide-ranging set of recommendations. It reports cash savings of £120 million as well as improved the quality of the goods and services it procures.

UK

Locked up Potential: A strategy for reforming prisons and rehabilitating prisoners (PDF)
Prison Reform Working Group (chair: Jonathan Aitken), 2009
Centre for Social Justice
This report recommends a series of sweeping changes to organisation of the UK prisons sector, including that prisons and probation officers should be rewarded for cutting intractable reoffending rates.

UK

Using Competition and Contracting to Improve Prison Performance (PDF)
Sturgess, Gary , 2008
The Serco Institute
This speech was delivered to the International Corrections and Prisons Association Conference in Prague, October 2008. The key theme in this is the contribution that markets can play in the development, identification and dissemination of innovation in public services. It focuses on three different aspects of public service markets that may make a difference - competition, contracting and commercialisation - using prisons as the case study.

UK

Designing Public Service Markets: The Custodial Sector as a Case Study (PDF)
Sturgess, Gary and Smith, Briony, 2006
The Serco Institute
This report looks at the custodial sector in the UK, US, Europe, Australia and South Africa as a case study on the involvement of private and not-for-profit organisations in the delivery of public services.

UK

Capitalist Punishment: Prison Privatization & Human Rights
Campbell, Allison; Coyle, Andrew & Neifeld, Rodney , 2003
Atlanta: Clarity Press, Inc
Collection of international papers that is generally critical of private sector involvement which mainly covers US but includes material on UK, Australia and South Africa.

US

Privatizing Correctional Services [link to executive summary and individual chapters] (Web Page)
Easton, Stephen T., 1998
Vancouver: The Fraser Institute
Collection of papers looking at the pros and cons of the privatisation debate which draws on evidence from UK, US and Canada.

Canada

Back to top

United Kingdom

 List of Resources:

HMYOI Ashfield - The Health Service (PDF)
Mathias, Megan and Smith, Briony, 2007
The Serco Institute
A case study examining the health service provided in Ashfield Young Offenders Institution. The service has won national recognition for excellence in provision, a considerable achievement, made even more significant in the context of difficulties faced by Ashfield in the past. Drawing on interviews with fourteen stakeholders, the authors identify the key drivers in the Health Team's success.

UK

A Five Year Strategy for Protecting the Public and Reducing Re-offending (PDF)
Home Office, 2006
The Stationery Office
Plans for reforming the criminal justice system including the introduction of a system built on the commissioning of services from expert providers and a phased programme of contestability.

UK

Public Policy: Using Market-Based Approaches (PDF)
Hahn, Robert; Coombs, Justin; Kalmus, Ciara; Razo, Carlos; Curry, Katherine, 2005
Department of Trade & Industry (DTI)
The report examines how competition and market forces can be used to improve the way that public policy is implemented. DTI Economics Paper No. 14.

UK

Rehabilitation of Prisoners (PDF)
House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, 2005
The Stationery Office
An inquiry into the rehabilitation of prisoners to reduce re-offending after release, focussing especially on helping prisoners find work and accommodation after release.  Recommends the establishment of partnerships with the private sector to help achieve this.
HC 193-I
UK

Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime: A New Approach (PDF)
Carter, Patrick, 2003
Prime Minister's Strategy Unit
Review of correctional services which proposes the establishment of the National Offender Management Service to provide end-to-end offender management.  Greater use of competition from the private and voluntary sectors is put forward as a way of improving effectiveness and value for money.

UK

Modernising Procurement in the Prison Service (PDF)
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2003
The Stationery Office
Following the NAO's report, the committee found that the Prison Service's procurement was fragmented and costly which is hindered by inadequate IT systems.  It also recommended that the service should draw on the experience of other public and private sector operations facing similar challenges.
HC 676
UK

Modernising Procurement in the Prison Service (PDF)
National Audit Office (NAO), 2003
The Stationery Office
Review of the purchase of goods and services throughout public sector prisons. Recommends that more central contracts are used and administrative costs reduced. Appendix 3 provides a comparison with procurement in some private sector run establishments.  
HC 562
UK

The Operational Performance of PFI Prisons (PDF)
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2003
The Stationery Office
In light of the NAO report, the committee recommended greater co-operation between public and private sectors including the exchange of staff at junior levels to better learn from each other and more rigourous performance mangement for both public and private establishments.
HC 904
UK

The Operational Performance of PFI Prisons (PDF)
National Audit Office (NAO), 2003
The Stationery Office
An examination of how privately run prisons have performed against their contractual requirements and against comparable public sector prisons, as well as how they have affected the Prison Service generally.  Although contractual performance is seen to be mixed, private establishments are shown to have made positive innovations.
HC 700
UK

Measuring the Quality of Prison Life (PDF)
Arnold, Helen & Liebling, Alison , 2002
Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.
A survey on the quality of life in five prisons which showed significant differences between the establishments.  Doncaster, a contract prison, scored highest on most of the measures.
ISSN 1473-8406
UK

Reducing Prisoner Re-offending (PDF)
House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts , 2002
The Stationery Office
Building on the evidence of the NAO report, PAC recommended that, where available, more volunteers should be used in prisons and non-accredited programmes should be used to prepare short term prisoners for release as well as work with employers to provide more relevant work experience.
HC 619
UK

Reducing Prisoner Re-offending (PDF)
National Audit Office (NAO), 2002
The Stationery Office
A review of the Prison Service's management of education, drug rehabilitation and resettlement programmes, many of which are delivered by outside organisations under contract, in light of government targets to reduce reconviction rates.  
HC 548
UK

Report on the Prison Estates Review (Volume 1: Report) (Web Page)
Justice 1 Committee, Scottish Parliament, 2002

Includes critical consideration of the need for private financing and management of prisons as a way to expand the prison estate and the financial review by PWC (below).

UK

Report on the Prison Estates Review (Volume 2: Evidence) (Web Page)
Justice 1 Committee, 2002
Scottish Parliament
Minutes, reports of prison visits and records of oral and written evidence in support of above report.

UK

Group 4 Falck A/S and The Wackenhut Corporation: A Report on the Merger Situation (PDF)
Competition Commission, 2002

An important report on the question of market power following the acquisition of TWC by G4F.  No competition issues were found to arise either in the correctional services or security services markets.

UK

Consultation on the Future of the Scottish Prison Estate (PDF)
Scottish Executive, 2002

Presents different options available for building three new prisons namely: public build-public operate, private build-public operate and private build-private operate. The latter is indicated to be the preferred option on grounds of cost whilst maintaining quality.

UK

Privatised Prisons and Detention Centres in Scotland: An Independent Report (PDF)
Taylor, Phil and Cooper, Prof. Christine, 2002

A critical analysis of the Scottish Executive's proposal to extend the privatization programme which also investigates the privately run correctional services market, including HMP Kilmarnock, the first Scottish prison to be contracted out. 

UK

Children in Prison: Provision and Practice at Ashfield
The Howard League for Penal Reform, 2002

Critical report on a young offenders' institution prior to turnaround.
ISBN 090368384-9
UK

Review of PFI and Market Testing in the Prison Service
Carter, Patrick , 2001
HM Prison Service
Important report on the future of private sector involvement in the prison service.

UK

The Refinancing of the Fazakerley PFI Prison Contract (Web Page)
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2001
The Stationery Office
Recommendations include that departments should make better use of their negotiating position when PFI projects are refinanced and that there should also be better guidance available so that departments can better share in the benefits.
HC 372
UK

The Refinancing of the Fazakerley PFI Prison Contract (PDF)
National Audit Office (NAO), 2000
The Stationery Office
An examination of the Prison Service's decision to accept £1m from the financers of the PFI for HMP Altcourse.   This was offered to offset the increase in HMPS's termination liabilities due to project's debt re-financing which was to bring additional profit to the consortium shareholders.  
HC 584
UK

Evaluation of Medway Secure Training Centre (PDF)
Hagel, Ann; Hazel, Neal & Shaw, Catherine, 2000
Home Office, Communications and Development Unit, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
Report on the first completed STC designed to hold juvenile persistent offenders serving out the custodial portion of their secure training order and managed privately.  Although the political controversy of the project is noted, the authors see the problems of running the centre within the wider context of applying the orders.
ISBN 1 84082 537 5
UK

Modernising the Management of the Prison Service: An Independent Report by the Targeted Performance Initiative Working Group
Lord Laming of Tewin, 2000
HM Prison Service
Briefly deals with competition and contracting.

UK

Alternative Types of Prison
Mouchel Consulting, 2000

Final Report to HM Prison Service.  Extracts only available.

UK

Review of Comparative Costs and Performance of Privately and Publicly Operated Prisons, 1998-99 (PDF)
Park, Isabelle , 2000
Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
Part of a series of quantitative studies, starting with the Coopers and Lybrand report in 1996, comparing costs per prisoner and per place amongst a sample of private and public prisons which also looks at escapes, assaults, time spent in purposeful activity and drug testing.

UK

Contracted Prisons: Cost and Staffing Comparisons, 1997-98
Andrewes, Carla, 2000
Planning Group, HM Prison Service
A series of internal reports comparing the costs of comparable public and private prisons

UK

Review of Comparative Costs and Performance of Privately and Publicly Operated Prisons, 1997-98 (PDF)
Woodbridge, Jo , 1999
Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
(see 1998-9 report above )

UK

Contracted Prisons: Cost and Staffing Comparisons, 1996-97
Andrewes, Carla, 1999
Planning Group, HM Prison Service
A series of internal reports comparing the costs of comparable public and private prisons

UK

The PFI Contracts for Bridgend and Fazakerley Prisons (Web Page)
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC), 1998
The Stationery Office
Although the benefits of PFI procurement as per NAO report (1997) are noted, the committee raises concerns over contractual limits to financial deductions arising from operational problems, the lack of competition in appointing advisers and the failure to properly consider savings from letting both contracts to one bidder.  
HC 499
UK

The PFI Contracts for Bridgend and Fazakerley Prisons (Web Page)
National Audit Office (NAO), 1997
The Stationery Office
A report on the expected benefits of contracting design, construction and management of the first two prisons under the Private Finance Initiative. 
ISBN: 0102765987
UK

Monitoring and Evaluation of Wolds Remand Prison and Comparisons with Public Prisons, in Particular HMP Woodhill (PDF)
Bottomley, Keith; James, Adrian; Clare, Emma and Liebling, Alison, 1997
Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
Qualitative study by academics for government comparing first prison to have its operations contracted out to private sector with other prisons opened at around the same time.  Based on observations of and interviews with staff and prisoners.  
ISBN 1-85893-768-X
UK

The Government Reply to the 2nd Report from the Home Affairs Committee Session 1996-7 HC 57 The Management of the Prison Service(Public and Private)
Home Office, 1997

The government's response to the report of the Home Affairs Committee (below).     
Cm3810
UK

The Management of the Prison Service (Public and Private): Volumes I and II
House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs, 1997
The Stationery Office
An important report following the change of government which gave broad endorsement to private prison management
HC 57
UK

Privatizing Prisons: Rhetoric and Reality
Bottomley, Keith; Clare, Emma; James, Adrian & Liebling, Alison , 1997
Sage Publications
Particular focus on the Wolds, the first privately-managed prison in the UK

UK

Review of Comparative Costs and Performance of Privately and Publicly Operated Prisons, 1996-97
Woodbridge, Jo, 1997
Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
Prison Service Report, No. 3. A series of research reports comparing the performance of privately-managed prisons and public sector comparators.

UK

Contracted Prisons: Cost and Staffing Comparisons, 1995-96
Andrewes, Carla , 1997
Planning Group, HM Prison Service
A series of internal reports comparing the costs of comparable public and private prisons.

UK

Report on the Procurement of Custodial Services for the DCMF Prisons at Bridgend and Fazakerley
Private Finance Panel Executive, 1996
Office of Government Commerce
 

UK

Review of Comparative Costs and Performance of Privately and Publicly Operated Prisons
Prison Service Research Report, No.1, HM Prison Service, 1996
Coopers & Lybrand
A series of research reports comparing the performance of privately-managed prisons and public sector comparators.

UK

HM Prison Doncaster: The Doncatraz File
Prison Reform Trust, 1995

Highly critical report of prison contracting.

UK

Report to the Home Office on the Practicality of Private Sector Involvement in the Remand System
Deloitte Haskins and Sells, 1989

A report prepared for the UK Government investigating whether private involvement in prisons could meet the criteria of clear accountability, improved cost-effectiveness and operational practicality.

UK

Private Sector Involvement in the Remand System
Home Secretary, 1988
Cm434, Report to Parliament by the Home Secretary.
One of the landmark reports in the development of competition in custodial services.

UK

Contract Provision of Prisons, Fourth Report of the Home Affairs Committee
Home Affairs Committee, 1988
The Stationery Office

HC 291
UK

Back to top

United States

 List of Resources:

Contracting for Success: Improving Performance in Corrections (PDF)
MTC Institute, 2007

A paper on the benefits of competition in prison operations as well as enhancing accountability and performance, especially in reducing recidivism.

USA

Contracting Prison Operations: A Plan to Improve Performance (PDF)
MTC Institute, 2007

A study which provides information on the public policy debate surrounding contracted prisons, potential barriers practitioner considerations and operational considerations. 

USA

The Interrelationship Between Public and Private Prisons (PDF)
Blumstein, James F. & Cohen, Mark A., 2003
Association of Private Correctional and Treatment Organizations
A study using US data on prisons from 1990-2001 which tested whether 'the existence of private prisons to manage a portion of a state's prison population has the effect of moderating the growth in costs per prisoner in the public sector'.

USA

Certain Data Relating to State Expenditures for State Departments of Corrections
Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, 2003
Analysis prepared for Corrections Corporation of America
Analysis of the raw data

USA

The Extent, History and Role of Private Companies in the of Delivery Correctional Services in the United States (PDF)
Segal, Geoffrey F., 2002
Reason Foundation
Briefing paper which gives an overview of private sector involvement in the correctional services market and outlines advantages that can be achieved in costs and performance.

USA

Weighing the Watchmen: Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Outsourcing Correctional Services-Part One: Employing a Best Value Approach to Procurement (PDF)
Segal, Geoffrey F. & Moore, Adrian T., 2002
Reason Foundation
A paper that looks beyond pure cost comparisons of public and private prisons and points out potential quality improvements that can also be attained by contracting out.

USA

Weighing the Watchmen: Evaluating the Benefits of Outsourcing Correctional Services- Part II: Reviewing the Literature on Cost and Quality Comparisons (PDF)
Segal, Geoffrey F. and Moore, Adrian T., 2002
Reason Foundation
Review of studies comparing cost and quality between public and private prisons which presents evidence that contracting can lead to improvements.

USA

Lake City Correctional Facility Experienced Start-Up Problems, But It Has Improved (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 2000
OPPAGA Private Prison Review, Report No 99-33
A study of a 350-bed young offender institution operated under contract since 1997. The costs of this facility were compared with the per diem rates of the state's major young offender prisons over two years.

USA

South Bay Correctional Facility Provides Savings and Success; Room for Improvement (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 2000
OPPAGA Private Prison Review, Report No 99-39
A study of the South Bay Correctional Facility, a privately managed prison opened in 1997, and contracted through the Correctional Privatization Commission. The study compared construction costs and operation costs in 1997-98 and 1998-99.

USA

Progress Report on Bay and Moore Haven Private Prison Contracts (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 2000

Assessment of the Correctional Privatization Commission's progress in managing  two contracts for private prisons following earlier recommendations by OPPAGA to increase cost savings (see below, 1996).    

USA

The Perpetual Prisoner Machine: How America Profits From Crime
Dyer, Joel , 2000
Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press
An account of the rising US prison population and expanding prison-industrial complex based on the increasing influence of the media and big business on government.

USA

A Comparative Recidivism Analysis of Releasees from Private and Public Prisons
Lanza-Kaduce, Lonn; Parker, Karen F. & Thomas, Charles W., 1999
Crime and Delinquency, 45(1), pp.28-47


USA

Follow-up Report on the Gadsden Correctional Institution (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 1998

Finds that earlier recommendations to set up a quality comparison procedure were not followed up and discrepancies were found in contract monitoring, attributed to lack of permanent on-site monitoring presence at the establishment.

USA

Private Prisons in the United States: An Assessment of the Current Practice (PDF)
McDonald, Douglas; Fournier, Elizabeth; Russell-Einhourn, Malcolm and Crawford, Stephen, 1998
Abt Associates Inc
Comprehensive study of private prisons and survey of contracting practices for the US Attorney General which reviews research on cost effectiveness, performance and related legal issues.  It takes a generally sceptical attitude about the conclusiveness of the available evidence.

USA

Review of Bay Correctional Facility and Moore Haven Correctional Facility (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 1998
The Florida Legislature, Report No 97-68
A review of the first two prison contracts let by the Correctional Privatization Commission, comparing compared the construction and operating costs of these two institutions with the adjusted costs of the most comparable public facilities. 

USA

Private Prisons: Quality Corrections at a Lower Cost (PDF)
Adrian T. Moore, 1998
Reason Foundation
A study based on available evidence in the US which concludes that private prisons overwhelmingly deliver good quality services at a lower cost.

US

Follow-up Report on the Review of Correctional Privatization (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 1997

Following the initial consultation below, OPPAGA recommends that the Governor of Florida establish an independent body to mediate between the Department of Corrections and Privatisation Commission following their inability to co-operate to reduce costs and identify effective approaches.

USA

Information Brief Comparing Costs of Private and Public Prisons (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 1997

Consultation document which proposes solutions to the problem of comparing dissimilar public and private prisons, so as to achieve more objective data to compare their cost efficiency.  Includes responses from Florida Department of Corrections and the Privatisation Commission.

USA

The Proper Scope of Government: Theory and an Application to Prisons
Hart, Oliver; Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Rovert W., 1997
The Quarterly Journal of Economics, pp.1127-1161
The authors develop a model whereby a provider can invest in improving quality or reducing costs and use it to better understand the costs and benefits of prison privatization.

USA

Performance Audit of Gadsden Correctional Institution (PDF)
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Florida, 1996
The Florida Legislature, Report No 95-48
A review of Florida's first contract prison which looked at the contract to construct and manage the Institution in its first year of operation and compared it with a similar state institution.

US

Well Kept: Comparing Quality of Confinement in a Public and a Private Prison
Logan, Charles H., 1992
The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 83, No.3 (Autumn) pp.577-613
An in-depth study using 333 indicators to compare the quality of three women's prisons (private, state and federal).  The private facility is found to consistently outperform the other two.    

USA

Back to top

Australia

 List of Resources:

Value for Money from NSW Correctional Centres (PDF)
Public Accounts Committee , 2005
Legislative Assembly of New South Wales
The Public Accounts Committee compared the performance of two public correctional centres - Kempsey and Dillwynia - established under the threat of exposure to market-testing, with two broadly comparable public prisons managed under the traditional model, for the year 2004-05. One of its recommendations was that at least one private prison should be maintained in the state for benchmarking purposes and to encourage innovative management techniques.

Australia

Profiting from Punishment. Private Prisons in Australia: Reform or Regression?
Moyle, Paul , 2000
Annandale, NSW: Pluto Press
Case study of the first private prison in Australia.

Australia

Private Prisons and Public Accountability
Harding, Richard W. , 1997
Buckingham: Open University Press
Analysis by one of Australia's leading criminologists.

Australia

Competitive Tendering of Prisons in Queensland
Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, 1997
Melbourne Industry Commission
Reforms in Government Service Provision. Case study of the first competition of custodial services in Australia

Australia

Private Prison Services in Australia
Prison Reform Trust, 1994

A sceptical report on prison contracting in Australia by a UK group.

Australia

Private Prisons and Police: Recent Australian Trends
Moyle, Paul , 1994
Pluto Press
A collection of essays reflecting the perspectives of academics, practitioners and industry which addresses the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the contracting of prison and policing services.
ISBN 1 86493 913 5
Australia

Back to top