美国监狱私有化的实践分析

Analysis of the Practice of Privatization of American Prisons

传统意义上,管教罪犯被认为是只有政府才能承担的责任。美国1980年代以来出现了监狱私有化趋势。通过对美国监狱私有化原因、问题及发展前景的分析,对于全面理解私人部门参与提供公共服务,形成竞争性和公私合作制度,具有重要的现实意义。私人监狱能够大幅度节约成本和提高效率的主张并未得到证实,但监狱私有化的主要意义在于引入更多的竞争主体参与提供公共服务,提高公共服务供给的动态效率。最为重要的是应该认识到私有化所导致的节约成本和提高效率,本身是竞争的结果。

In the traditional sense, the surveillance and discipline of criminals are the tasks of the government. The rise of the privatization of prisons in the 1980s, therefore, posed a new challenge to the traditional frontier of governance. Through the analysis of the cause, problem and prospects of development of the privatization of American prisons, the article contributes to a comprehensive understanding of privatization, especially the significance of participation of private agencies in providing public service, thus bringing about competition and forming public and private cooperative system. It cannot be verified that private prisons can greatly cut the costs and raise efficiency, but the major significance of privatization of prison lies in the introduction of more competitive entities into the provision of public service and the enhancement of dynamic efficiency of public service provision. The cost cuts and efficiency improvement of privatization are the result of competition.