Race and Ethnicity as Determinants of privatizing State Prisons

Abstract

The criminal justice system, in the past two decades, has witnessed an increase in incarceration rates and prison overcrowding, and a resultant rise in prison privatization. The debate over prison privatization finds itself amid public administration discourse as arguments revolve around fiscal accountability, public safety, and administrative ethics. This study looks at race and ethnicity as possible factors in the privatization of prisons, the significance of which is evident when reviewing incarceration figures for Blacks and Hispanics. U.S. Census social and economic data, along with Department of Justice data on corrections are used. Multiple regression results indicate that a state’s average cost of living and the proportion of Hispanics in its population are significant and robust predictors of prison privatization. There is some evidence supportive of the proportion of Blacks in a state°Øs population positively predicting the private prison population although further research is needed to verify this.