NCJ Number
144184
Date Published
1993
Length
25 pages
Annotation
In testimony presented before the State of Washington House of Representatives concerning privatization of corrections, an expert witness addressed four key issues.
Abstract
The first issue is the constitutionality of a bill that authorizes a State to contract for the full-scale management of its correctional facilities. While opponents of privatization argue that the exercise of police powers is inherently and exclusively a government responsibility, there has been no instance in which any State or court has invalidated correctional privatization for constitutional reasons. The second issue involves legal liability; experience has shown that contracting units of government are generally able to shift the legal liability exposure from the government to the independent contractors. Proponents of privatization point to many empirical studies proving the cost benefits of such schemes, including long-term savings. The final issue concerns quality of services delivered, and, again, privatization supporters note that most of the available research supports the hypothesis that contracting serves the dual purpose of reducing costs and providing higher-quality services than what the government had previously offered. 31 notes