Private prisons, also referred to as for-profit prisons, have become a dominant sector of society in the United States and are now implemented in many states around the country. As of 2022, the state of Florida had the highest number of prisoners held in private prisons in the United States, with a total of ****** prisoners, followed by Texas, Arizona, and Georgia, and Tennessee. ** states did not have any prisoners held in private prisoners in that year. Private prisons in the U.S. The United States is home to the highest prison population per capita of all OECD countries, resulting in a consistent overcrowding of prisons which has negatively affected the criminal justice system for decades. The privatization of prison facilities was initially proposed as a solution to a lack of funding and an increasing demand for more jail space, leading to around *** percent of the U.S. prison population currently behind bars in private prisons. In 2021, ****** prisoners were held in in-state private prison facilities in the United States, compared to ****** prisoners held in out-of-state private prisons. Arguments on private prisons Advocates of private prisons proposed that privatization could lead to cost reductions, suggesting that allowing the private industry to operate prison facilities would save taxpayers money. However, the increasing reliance on private prison facilities has been criticized politically in the U.S. for catering to profit-seeking corporations as well as for the tendency to hold people in immigrant detention in these privately run facilities. In 2021, the highest share of revenue reported by the two largest for-profit prison companies in the U.S. was from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition, Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, who is well-known for his positive stance on strengthening border security, was also found to receive the most money from the private prison industry than any other federal politician in the 2022 election cycle.

Private Prison Service Market Outlook

The global private prison service market size was valued at approximately USD 8 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to reach USD 12.5 billion by 2032, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 4.5% during the forecast period. The growth of this market is driven by several factors, including increasing prison populations, government policies favoring privatization, and a focus on cost-efficiency and specialized services provided by private entities.

One of the primary growth factors of the private prison service market is the escalating prison population globally. Over the years, many countries have experienced a steady rise in incarceration rates due to stricter law enforcement policies and an increase in crime rates. This surge has led to overcrowded public prison facilities, prompting governments to seek alternatives to manage the burgeoning inmate numbers. Private prisons have emerged as a viable solution to this issue, providing additional capacity and thus driving market demand.

Another significant factor contributing to the growth of the private prison service market is the cost-efficiency and specialized services offered by private operators. Governments are increasingly outsourcing prison management to private entities to reduce operational costs and improve service quality. Private prisons often employ advanced technologies and management practices that lead to better resource utilization, enhanced security measures, and improved inmate rehabilitation programs. These factors make private prisons an attractive option for governments looking to manage prisons more effectively.

The increasing focus on rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates is also bolstering the private prison service market. Unlike traditional public prisons, many private facilities emphasize rehabilitation and education programs aimed at reducing recidivism rates. Private prison operators often provide comprehensive healthcare, vocational training, and educational programs tailored to the needs of inmates. These initiatives not only help in the personal development of inmates but also contribute to a safer society, which, in turn, drives the demand for private prison services.

From a regional perspective, North America holds the largest share in the global private prison service market, primarily driven by the United States, which has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Government policies favoring privatization and the presence of major private prison operators further strengthen the market in this region. However, other regions such as Asia Pacific and Europe are also showing significant potential due to increasing crime rates and shifting governmental policies towards privatization.

Service Type Analysis

The private prison service market is segmented by service type into security, rehabilitation, healthcare, education, and others. The security segment holds the largest market share due to its critical role in maintaining order and safety within prison facilities. Private prison operators invest heavily in advanced security technologies such as surveillance systems, biometric access controls, and perimeter security solutions. These investments ensure a secure environment for both inmates and staff, thereby making security services a pivotal component of the private prison market.

The rehabilitation segment is gaining traction as governments and private operators recognize the importance of reducing recidivism rates. Rehabilitation services include a range of programs such as behavioral therapy, substance abuse treatment, and vocational training designed to help inmates reintegrate into society. With growing awareness about the social and economic benefits of rehabilitation, this segment is expected to see substantial growth in the coming years.

Healthcare services are another critical component of private prison services. Inmates often have complex health needs that require specialized medical care. Private prison operators provide comprehensive healthcare services, including primary care, mental health services, and emergency medical treatment. The healthcare segment is expected to grow significantly due to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and mental health issues among the incarcerated population.

Educational services are also an essential part of the private prison service market. These services aim to equip inmates with the knowledge and skills needed to secure employment upon release. Educational programs range

At the beginning of 2025, the United States had the highest number of incarcerated individuals worldwide, with around 1.8 million people in prison. China followed with around 100,000 fewer prisoners. Brazil followed in third. The incarceration problem in the U.S. The United States has an incredibly high number of incarcerated individuals. Therefore, the incarceration problem has become a widely contested issue, because it impacts disadvantaged people and minorities the most. Additionally, the prison system has become capitalized by outside corporations that fund prisons, but there is still a high cost to taxpayers. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the amount of private prisons that have been created. For-profit prison companies have come under scrutiny because of their lack of satisfactory staff and widespread lobbying. Violent offenses are the most common type of offense among prisoners in the U.S. Incarceration rates worldwide El Salvador had the highest rate of incarceration worldwide, at 1,659 prisoners per 100,000 residents as of February 2025. Cuba followed in second with 794 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. The incarceration rate is a better measure to use when comparing countries than the total prison populations, which will naturally have the most populous countries topping the list.

The private prison industry, encompassing companies like CoreCivic, The GEO Group, and Management and Training Corporation, represents a significant market with substantial growth potential. While precise market sizing data is unavailable, industry reports suggest a global market valued in the tens of billions of dollars in 2025, projecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of, say, 4-6% over the forecast period (2025-2033). Several factors drive this growth. Increased incarceration rates in certain regions, coupled with government budgetary constraints leading to privatization of correctional facilities, are key contributors. Furthermore, the demand for specialized services within prisons, such as healthcare and rehabilitation programs, also fuels market expansion. However, the industry faces significant headwinds, including growing public concern regarding human rights issues within private prisons, increased regulatory scrutiny, and a shift towards alternative sentencing practices in some jurisdictions. These factors can temper growth and necessitate adaptation within the sector. Segment-wise, the market likely sees the highest revenue generation from the operation of large-scale correctional facilities, followed by specialized services and potentially support contracts for government-run prisons. Regional variations exist, with North America and parts of Europe historically dominating the market due to higher incarceration rates and a greater acceptance of private prison models. However, emerging markets in regions with rapidly growing populations and expanding criminal justice systems may present new opportunities for growth in the coming years. This overall dynamic suggests a complex picture of moderate growth amidst significant challenges and opportunities for evolution within the private prison industry.

In 2021, 28,863 prisoners were held in out-state private facilities in the United States. This was significantly less than the number of prisoners held in in-of-state private prisons, which stood at 75,167. A list of the countries with the largest number of prisoners is accessible here.

Investigator(s): United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics Produces annual national- and state-level data on the number of prisoners in state and federal prison facilities. Aggregate data are collected on race and sex of prison inmates, inmates held in private facilities and local jails, system capacity, noncitizens, and persons age 17 or younger. Findings are released in the Prisoners series and the Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool (CSAT) - Prisoners. Data are from the 50 states departments of correction, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and until 2001, from the District of Columbia (after 2001, felons sentenced under the District of Columbia criminal code were housed in federal facilities).

Correctional facilities have suffered from a mixture of policy changes at the federal and local levels, coupled with broader support for rehabilitative solutions to the broader issue of crime. The implementation of a ban on private prison contract renewals with the DOJ in 2021 cut off a considerable revenue stream across BOP and USMS clientele. While the order was reversed in January 2025, facilities were forced to pivot to alternative revenue streams, namely community centers and rehabilitative service provision. Demand is uniquely separate from the broader economic climate, since revenue growth is primarily influenced by crime and incarceration rates. Falling approval of for-profit prisons also influenced statewide restrictions on private correctional facilities. Revenue fell at a CAGR of 3.6% to an estimated $9.0 billion, including an estimated 3.5% decline in 2025 alone, as profit reached an estimated 12.4%. Decreasing national crime and incarceration rates have been the primary contributing factors influencing revenue. A sharp 7.6% collapse in the national incarceration rate over the past five years was influenced by a conscious effort by the US government to reduce prison overcrowding. Since private correctional facilities charge fixed, per-diem rates based on occupancy, a reduction in the inmate population not only lowers demand for facility, but also raises fixed costs that eat into their profit margin. However, stricter immigration enforcement, caused agencies such as ICE to contract correctional facilities to provide detention and processing centers for new arrivals. In February 2025, major company GEO Group signed off on a contract with ICE for a new processing facility in Newark, New Jersey, providing a crucial revenue stream that offset larger losses. Moving forward, correctional facilities face an uncertain future. Continued slippage in public opinion regarding for-profit prison systems will force facilities to invest capital in rehabilitative services aimed at reentry and reduction of recidivism. Reputational problems stemming from reports of inadequate medical care, excessive use of solitary confinement and unsanitary conditions may lead to financial penalties or full-on closures. A continued retreat in national incarceration and crime rates will continue shrinking the potential marketplace for correctional facilities. Revenue is expected to sink at a CAGR of 3.6% to an estimated $7.5 billion over the next five years.

In 2022, Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida made the most money from the private prison industry in the United States, accumulating ****** U.S. dollars from the industry in the 2022 election cycle.

The below data and code replicates the main and supplementary analyses for the paper, "Inmate Litigation, Legal Access, and Prison Privatization." Debates over prison privatization neglect to consider differences in legal access across private and public prisons. I argue private prisons experience lower filing rates than public prisons and that cases brought against publicly traded private prison companies are less likely to be dismissed and more likely to succeed than similar cases against public prisons. I find evidence consistent with these claims, a result that is not driven by other explanations of judicial decision-making. This paper has implications for skepticism of private interests in public policymaking, and encourages investigation of access to justice for inmates in public and private custody.

Investigator(s): Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention The Census of Public and Private Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities series (formerly called the Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facility Census series and also known as the Children in Custody (CIC) census) was originally designed and sponsored by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the later studies are sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The series is conducted by the United States Census Bureau. These data provide information on the population and characteristics of public (through 1984-1985) or public and private (1986-1987 and beyond) juvenile facilities in operation in the United States each February. Annual data for the previous calendar year are included as well. Residential programs and group homes were included in the census if they housed three or more residents, if at least 50 percent of the residents were juveniles, and if accused or adjudicated delinquents and status offenders were at least 1 percent of their average daily population. In California, however, all California Youth Authority Facilities were included in the census. Juvenile facilities operated as part of adult jails were excluded, as were nonresidential facilities, facilities exclusively for drug or alcohol abusers or nonoffenders, and federal juvenile correctional facilities.Years Produced: Annually National Juvenile Corrections Data Summary The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention sponsored three series of national juvenile corrections data collections:Census of Public and Private Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities Series,Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) Series, and theJuvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) Series.The CJRP was administered for the first time in 1997. The CJRP replaced the Census of Public and Private Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities (formerly called the Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facility Census series and also known as the Children in Custody (CIC) census), which had been conducted since the early 1970s. The CJRP differs fundamentally from CIC in that the CIC collected aggregate data on juveniles held in each facility (e.g., number of juveniles in the facility) and the CJRP collects an individual record on each juvenile held in the residential facility to provide a detailed picture of juveniles in custody. The companion data collection to CJRP, the JRFC, is designed to collect information about the facilities in which juvenile offenders are held.ICPSR merged data from the CJRP series with data from the JRFC series. These studies are included in the Matched Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP)/Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) Series.

This is the replication kit for "Impacts of Private Prison Contracting on Inmate Time Served and Recidivism."

This data collection contains information gathered in a two-part survey that was designed to assess institutional conditions in state and federal prisons and in halfway houses. It was one of a series of data-gathering efforts undertaken during the 1970s to assist policymakers in assessing and overcoming deficiencies in the nation's correctional institutions. This particular survey was conducted in response to a mandate set forth in the Crime Control Act of 1976. Data were gathered via self-enumerated questionnaires that were mailed to the administrators of all 558 federal and state prisons and all 405 community-based prerelease facilities in existence in the United States in 1979. Part 1 contains the results of the survey of state and federal adult correctional systems, and Part 2 contains the results of the survey of community-based prerelease facilities. The two files contain similar variables designed to tap certain key aspects of confinement: (1) inmate (or resident) counts by sex and by security class, (2) age of facility and rated capacity, (3) spatial density, occupancy, and hours confined for each inmate's (or resident's) confinement quarters, (4) composition of inmate (or resident) population according to race, age, and offense type, (5) inmate (or resident) labor and earnings, (6) race, age, and sex characteristics of prison (or half-way house) staff, and (7) court orders by type of order and pending litigation. Other data (contained in both files) include case ID number, state ID number, name of facility, and operator of facility (e.g., federal, state, local, or private).

Jails and Prisons (Correctional Institutions). The Jails and Prisons sub-layer is part of the Emergency Law Enforcement Sector and the Critical Infrastructure Category. A Jail or Prison consists of any facility or location where individuals are regularly and lawfully detained against their will. This includes Federal and State prisons, local jails, and juvenile detention facilities, as well as law enforcement temporary holding facilities. Work camps, including camps operated seasonally, are included if they otherwise meet the definition. A Federal Prison is a facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the incarceration of individuals. A State Prison is a facility operated by a state, commonwealth, or territory of the US for the incarceration of individuals for a term usually longer than 1 year. A Juvenile Detention Facility is a facility for the incarceration of those who have not yet reached the age of majority (usually 18 years). A Local Jail is a locally administered facility that holds inmates beyond arraignment (usually 72 hours) and is staffed by municipal or county employees. A temporary holding facility, sometimes referred to as a "police lock up" or "drunk tank", is a facility used to detain people prior to arraignment. Locations that are administrative offices only are excluded from the dataset. This definition of Jails is consistent with that used by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in their "National Jail Census", with the exception of "temporary holding facilities", which the DOJ excludes. Locations which function primarily as law enforcement offices are included in this dataset if they have holding cells. If the facility is enclosed with a fence, wall, or structure with a gate around the buildings only, the locations were depicted as "on entity" at the center of the facility. If the facility's buildings are not enclosed, the locations were depicted as "on entity" on the main building or "block face" on the correct street segment. Personal homes, administrative offices, and temporary locations are intended to be excluded from this dataset; however, some personal homes of constables are included due to the fact that many constables work out of their homes. TGS has made a concerted effort to include all correctional institutions. This dataset includes non license restricted data from the following federal agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Park Police; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Park Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This dataset is comprised completely of license free data. The Law Enforcement dataset and the Correctional Institutions dataset were merged into one working file. TGS processed as one file and then separated for delivery purposes. With the merge of the Law Enforcement and the Correctional Institutions datasets, NAICS Codes & Descriptions were assigned based on the facility's main function which was determined by the entity's name, facility type, web research, and state supplied data. In instances where the entity's primary function is both law enforcement and corrections, the NAICS Codes and Descriptions are assigned based on the dataset in which the record is located (i.e., a facility that serves as both a Sheriff's Office and as a jail is designated as [NAICSDESCR]="SHERIFFS' OFFICES (EXCEPT COURT FUNCTIONS ONLY)" in the Law Enforcement layer and as [NAICSDESCR]="JAILS (EXCEPT PRIVATE OPERATION OF)" in the Correctional Institutions layer). Records with "-DOD" appended to the end of the [NAME] value are located on a military base, as defined by the Defense Installation Spatial Data Infrastructure (DISDI) military installations and military range boundaries. "#" and "*" characters were automatically removed from standard fields that TGS populated. Double spaces were replaced by sin

These data provide information on the population and characteristics of public and private juvenile facilities in operation in the United States on February 15, 1995. Annual data for the 1994 calendar year are included as well. Questions designed to categorize each facility were asked of facility administrators concerning the number of adults held, the juvenile majority's custodial authority, reason for custody, and access to the community, as well as the facility's security arrangements, capacity, age, plans for renovation, type of administration, and setting. Extensive data on the total juvenile residential population of each facility were also gathered. The total population is broken down by admission type, legal status, type of offense, race, and age. The collection also contains information on the population's movement and average length of stay, as well as each facility's average daily population, personnel by race, number, and staff position, educational, treatment, and medical programs available, annual expenditures, court orders and consent decrees, and number of juvenile deaths that year.

The United States has witnessed privatization of a variety of government functions over the last three decades. Media and politicians often attribute the decision to privatize to ideological commitments to small government and fiscal pressure. These claims are particularly notable in the context of prison privatization, where states and the federal government have employed private companies to operate and manage private correctional facilities. I argue state prison privatization is not a function of simple ideological or economic considerations. Rather, prison privatization has been an unintended consequence of the administrative and legal costs associated with litigation brought by prisoners. I assemble an original database of prison privatization in the US and demonstrate that the privatization of prisons is best predicted by the legal pressure on state corrections systems, rather than the ideological orientation of a state government.

As of 2021, the highest share of revenue reported by the two largest for-profit prison companies in the United States was from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. For CoreCivic, ** percent of their revenue was grossed from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement while the Federal Bureau of Prisons only made up * percent.

To reduce respondent burden for the 2019 collection, the Census of Jails was combined with the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP). The census provides the sampling frame for the nationwide Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ) and the Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ). Previous jail enumerations were conducted in 1970 (ICPSR 7641), 1972 (ICPSR 7638), 1978 (ICPSR 7737), 1983 (ICPSR 8203), 1988 (ICPSR 9256), 1993 (ICPSR 6648), 1999 (ICPSR 3318), 2005 (ICPSR 20367), 2006 (ICPSR 26602), and 2013 (ICPSR 36128). The RTI International collected the data for the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2013 and 2019. The United States Census Bureau was the collection agent from 1970-2006. The 2019 Census of Jails gathered data from all jail detention facilities holding inmates beyond arraignment, a period normally exceeding 72 hours. Jail facilities were operated by cities and counties, by private entities under contract to correctional authorities, and by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Excluded from the census were physically separate temporary holding facilities such as drunk tanks and police lockups that do not hold persons after being formally charged in court. Also excluded were state-operated facilities in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Alaska, which have combined jail-prison systems. Fifteen independently operated jails in Alaska were included in the Census. The 2019 census collected information on the number of confined inmates, number of persons supervised outside jail, number of inmates participating in weekend programs, number of confined non-U.S. citizens, number of inmates by sex and adult or juvenile status, number of juveniles held as adults, number of inmates who were parole or probation violators, number of inmates by conviction status, number of inmates by felony or misdemeanor status, number of inmates held by race or Hispanic origin, number of inmates held for other jurisdictions or authorities, average daily population, rated capacity, admissions and releases, number of staff employed by local jails, facility functions, and number of jails under court orders and consent decrees. The 2019 census also included a module to collect data on the effects of the opioid epidemic on local jails and jail responses to the epidemic. Items included: Jail practices on opioid use disorder testing, screening, and treatment. Number of local jail admissions screened during June 2019. Number of positive screens. Number of admissions treated for opioid use disorder. Number of jail inmates treated for opioid withdrawal at midyear 2019.

Jails and Prisons (Correctional Institutions). The Jails and Prisons sub-layer is part of the Emergency Law Enforcement Sector and the Critical Infrastructure Category. A Jail or Prison consists of any facility or location where individuals are regularly and lawfully detained against their will. This includes Federal and State prisons, local jails, and juvenile detention facilities, as well as law enforcement temporary holding facilities. Work camps, including camps operated seasonally, are included if they otherwise meet the definition. A Federal Prison is a facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the incarceration of individuals. A State Prison is a facility operated by a state, commonwealth, or territory of the US for the incarceration of individuals for a term usually longer than 1 year. A Juvenile Detention Facility is a facility for the incarceration of those who have not yet reached the age of majority (usually 18 years). A Local Jail is a locally administered facility that holds inmates beyond arraignment (usually 72 hours) and is staffed by municipal or county employees. A temporary holding facility, sometimes referred to as a "police lock up" or "drunk tank", is a facility used to detain people prior to arraignment. Locations that are administrative offices only are excluded from the dataset. This definition of Jails is consistent with that used by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in their "National Jail Census", with the exception of "temporary holding facilities", which the DOJ excludes. Locations which function primarily as law enforcement offices are included in this dataset if they have holding cells. If the facility is enclosed with a fence, wall, or structure with a gate around the buildings only, the locations were depicted as "on entity" at the center of the facility. If the facility's buildings are not enclosed, the locations were depicted as "on entity" on the main building or "block face" on the correct street segment. Personal homes, administrative offices, and temporary locations are intended to be excluded from this dataset. TGS has made a concerted effort to include all correctional institutions. This dataset includes non license restricted data from the following federal agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Park Police; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Park Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This dataset is comprised completely of license free data. The Law Enforcement dataset and the Correctional Institutions dataset were merged into one working file. TGS processed as one file and then separated for delivery purposes. With the merge of the Law Enforcement and the Correctional Institutions datasets, NAICS Codes & Descriptions were assigned based on the facility's main function which was determined by the entity's name, facility type, web research, and state supplied data. In instances where the entity's primary function is both law enforcement and corrections, the NAICS Codes and Descriptions are assigned based on the dataset in which the record is located (i.e., a facility that serves as both a Sheriff's Office and as a jail is designated as [NAICSDESCR]="SHERIFFS' OFFICES (EXCEPT COURT FUNCTIONS ONLY)" in the Law Enforcement layer and as [NAICSDESCR]="JAILS (EXCEPT PRIVATE OPERATION OF)" in the Correctional Institutions layer). Records with "-DOD" appended to the end of the [NAME] value are located on a military base, as defined by the Defense Installation Spatial Data Infrastructure (DISDI) military installations and military range boundaries. "#" and "*" characters were automatically removed from standard fields that TGS populated. Double spaces were replaced by single spaces in these same fields. Text fields in this dataset have been set to all upper case to facilitate consistent database engine search results. All diacritics (e.g., the German umlaut or the Spanish tilde) have been replaced with their closest equivalent English character to facilitate use with database systems that may not support diacritics. The currentness of this dataset is indicated by the [CONTDATE] field. Based on the values in this field, the oldest record dates from 12/27/2004 and the newest record dates from 09/08/2009