The shift from public to private placements for juvenile offenders has become much more pronounced over the last several decades. Using longitudinal data drawn from a medium-sized Midwestern county, the study attempts to determine whether private residential placements are more effective than public training schools in reducing recidivism levels. The study defines recidivism in terms of level of reoffending, seriousness of reoffending, and time to failure; and controls for a variety of demographic and legal factors to reduce the possibility of spurious findings. Private placements proved to be no more effective than commitments to state-operated institutions in reducing recidivism levels. Additionally, the cost associated with committing juveniles to private facilities is substantially higher. The article discusses how this study informs current debate about the privatization of juvenile corrections. Tables, figures, notes, references