Privatization of correctional services is highly controversial, in part because of a general public misunderstanding of what it is and how it operates. In addition, some vested interest groups and politicians seek to prevent the private sector from entering areas formerly dominated entirely by public administration and political entities. This volume attempts to clarify some of the mystery surrounding privatization, elaborates on the conflicting interests of the private sector and of politicians, and proposes solutions for productive co-existence. Privatization issues discussed in this book include: (1) privatization and the role of government in a civil society; (2) ideology and the calculation of efficiency in public and private correctional enterprises; (3) legal considerations; (4) understanding the risks; (5) New Zealand's experience; (6) conjugal visitation; (7) corporate America's role in prison industries; and (8) comparing public and private correctional facilities in California. Notes, tables, figure, appendix, bibliography, index