Prisons are seen by the British Government as expensive capital items with high running costs with the need to design policy to reduce costs. The government supports the continued role of the private sector in the provision of high quality services. This article presents a description of the origins and operation of the therapeutic community prison and the British Government’s decision to procure HMP Dovegate under the DCMF (design, construction, management, and finance) initiative. It reveals the ways in which the initiative simultaneously facilitates and constrains opportunities for innovation. An examination is conducted on the impact of these forces on the design and development of this unique establishment, taking into consideration the vested interests at play within the DCMF process and their influence on the structure and outcome of negotiations. The article concludes with how the fiscal forces affect the delivery of innovative private-sector partnerships. References