The price of private prisons

Abstract

Almost every year, for the past three decades, the number of private prisons in the United States has grown. These private correctional institutions are advertised as effective ways for the government to cut costs and manage the high incarceration rates in the United States. However, despite these claims, the effectiveness of private prisons has been under increased scrutiny by human rights groups and American citizens. This paper examines whether or not private prisons are effective at reducing crime. My statistical analysis suggests that private prisons are actually ineffective at rehabilitating prisoners. These results question the implementation of private prisons across the United States, because if they are not effectively reforming prisoners or reducing crime, the price of privatization may be too high.