The use of community corrections facilities in California is an ongoing experiment in managing inmate populations. This paper looks at recidivism figures and costs for two types of facilities operated by a private corporation for profit under contract with the California Department of Corrections (CDC): private proprietary institutions, facilities operated by a private corporation for profit under contract with the CDC; and public proprietary facilities, legislatively authorized facilities operated by municipalities or counties. The factors considered for this study do not appear to be more supportive of the use of either the public or private proprietary facilities. Data on hidden costs and studies of the quality of inmate life in these facilities are needed in order to draw conclusions about order and safety. Costs could not be compared with great precision due to the lack of data on capital construction in some facilities, the inclusion of capital costs in some estimates, and the lack of uniformity in overhead cost figures. Tables, notes