Private Jails in the United States

Private jails, prisons, and detention centers have a long history in the U.S., as far back as 1852 whenSan Quentinwas the first for-profit prison in the U.S., long before it was state-owned. A resurgence in private prisons came in the wake of wide-spread privatization that took place during the 1980s. Prior to the 1980s, some aspects of prison management had been privatized (services), but overall management had still been held by federal and state authorities. Read More