THE CORPORATE CONTEXT OF PRIVATE PRISONS

This article deals with the growing interest in the privatization of correctional institutions. It focuses on the corporate context of this trend because modern privatization is being done by corporations which have been formed specifically for this purpose or are specialized subsidiaries of large conglomerates. The article reviews the theoretial, legal, political, regulatory, economic, management, and labor issues involved in corporate privatization, taking into consideration the aspects of organizational climate and corporate deviance. Finally, the article points out that corporate involvement in the private management of correctional facilities should be analyzed carefully and taken into consideration in the privatization debate.