A decade ago, proponents of privatizing governmental services hailed the private operation of correctional facilities as a way to improve prison conditions and reduce costs.' Skeptics doubted these claims and warned of the danger in delegating the care of inmates to corporations "more interested in doing well than in doing good." 2 Although the problems of prison overcrowding and escalating costs still frustrate state policy makers, contracting with private parties for the operation of prisons and jails remains a serious alternative for legislatures unwilling to spend state funds on additional public facilities. Roughly one-third of the states have passed legislation enabling state and local agencies to contract with private firms for full-scale correctional services, 4 and several oth-1.
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