The Rise and Stall of Prison Privatization: An Integration of Policy Analysis Perspectives

Abstract

This article examines prison privatization policy in the United States from 1984 to the turn of the century by integrating several policy analysis perspectives. Kingdon's theory of multiple streams provides an overarching context, and elements of the advocacy coalition framework, the subgovernment perspective, and disjointed incrementalism explain steps along the way. The private prison industry expanded in the midst of rapidly increasing inmate populations and widespread federal court oversight of public prisons. Serious incidents in private prisons prompted the development of an extensive regulatory framework that essentially molded private prisons into mirror images of their public sector counterparts. By the turn of the 21st century, the incentive for privatization began to fade as prison population growth leveled off and federal court oversight of prisons declined. Concurrently, antiprivatization advocacy efforts gained strength, particularly within the faith-based community, limiting the prospect of broader expansion of prison privatization policy.