Privatizing Criminal Justice

Without abdicating their ultimate responsibility for law enforcement and criminal justice, governments are increasingly seeking to delegate aspects of this task to the private and voluntary sectors. How far can the process go? Will it achieve an effective, more flexible and efficient service? What problems of accountability and safeguards does it pose? In Privatizing Criminal Justice, Roger Matthews provides a stimulating assessment of major aspects of the privatization debate as it relates to criminal justice. The distinguished international contributors assess both the actual and potential impacts of privatization on policing, prisons, electronic monitoring techniques, and the role of the voluntary sector within the state and the market. They also examine the key questions of accountability and the nature of safeguards which could be implemented to minimize anticipated problems currently associated with privatization. In addition to locating the contemporary focus upon privatization within a theoretical and political context, this book provides an illuminating range of responses to current developments in the field. Privatizing Criminal Justice is an excellent introduction to topical discussions on the effects of privatization upon the operation of the criminal justice system. "Although there are ten authors, each writes in the same scholarly style, dense with the technical language of the social scientist. This approach allows for an objective discussion free of ideological rhetoric. . . . The authors have addressed some important social issues. "While designed to stimulate intellectual debate, this book also serves as an early warning system, pointing out to society potential dangers in the criminal justice system. . . . [The authors] have performed an important task." --Academic Library Book Review "This volume will serve as a useful source-book." --British Journal of Criminology "Recommended reading for those who wish to remain current about the administration and management of social control systems. . . . Contributors include some of the most respected researchers on the topical issues the book(s) address; these are people eminently worth listening to. . . . The overall quality of the pieces is good, and readers will find the book(s) useful and edifying, especially as summaries of core issues and problems. Taken as a package, this book represents the broadest available discussion of the privatization movement." --Contemporary Sociology "This is a timely book and its eight chapters contain useful information about the privatization process. . . . It is a welcome and valuable contribution to debates about criminal justice. It provides a core base onto which further discussions about the role of privatization in the supervision and control of offenders can be built. I recommend it." --International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy "This book is a timely, edited collection of eight original articles that address problems and issues associated with privatization in the criminal justice system from a British and American perspective. The book begins with an introductory article by Matthews that discusses the privatization debate from a number of angles: the concept; the practice; its administration; and its effectiveness. The articles that follow address these debates in greater depth and with consistent proficiency....Matthews skillfully uses the introduction to place the subject of each article in the wider privatization debate....For those interested in the Canadian criminal justice system, there is sufficient mention of North American experiences....The collection of articles is commendable because more than one perspective on privatization issues is provided....(the book) offers very specific privatization solutions that might assist reform efforts....From a pedagogical point of view, the book is useful for graduate and undergraduate students of corrections and social control because the collection of articles and range of topics underscore the complexity of the privatization issue and move the reader away from the pros and cons of the positions in the debate toward a consideration of other important questions of a policy, theoretical, and empirical nature. Because of the book's focus on prison and corrections, it would also be of value to policy makers, advisors, and professionals in the field of corrections." --The Canadian Journal of Sociology