This research examines racial demographics in privately vs. publicly operated correctional facilities, suggesting privatization exacerbates social inequality.
Key Points
The study aims to investigate how privatization of correctional facilities influences racial demographics and whether these differences are due to facility characteristics or state context.
Utilized 2019 Census data on state and federal correctional facilities along with state demographic measures from the American Community Survey.
Estimated OLS models to predict facility-level racial percentages while adjusting for factors like security level and overcrowding.
Analyzed differences in racial composition between private and public facilities, focusing on the roles of immigration and citizenship status.
Private facilities house fewer Black individuals and more Hispanic individuals than public facilities.
The difference in Hispanic representation can be largely explained by the concentration of non-U.S. citizens, but the lower Black representation in private prisons persists regardless of other factors.
Limited evidence shows that the relationship between non-U.S. citizen concentration and Hispanic composition varies by whether the facility is privately operated.