Issues in the debate over private prisons are defined, and an extensive but concise compendium of arguments for and against prison contracting is presented. Issues associated with private prisons are examined in 10 chapters covering propriety, cost, quality, quantity, flexibility, security, liability, accountability, corruption, and dependence. All issues in the debate over private prisons have close counterparts that apply to prisons run directly by government. It is primarily because they are prisons, not because they are contractual, that private operations face challenges of authority, legitimacy, procedural justice, accountability, liability, security, safety, and corruptibility. Because they raise no problems that are unique and insurmountable, private prisons should be allowed to compete and cooperate with government agencies. The future of private prisons seems fairly assured, since contracting of services and nonsecure facilities is already a permanent feature of corrections. Contracting of secure facility management is still controversial, but there is every indication that such contracting will increase. Although the public generally believes in longer sentences and people oppose early release as a response to prison overcrowding, they often reject the issuance of bonds to build new prisons. Proprietary prisons are not an easy solution to this dilemma, but they do offer some relief at an affordable price. References.