Private prison

The term prison industry means the operation of prisons by private companies for a fee.

The first penitentiaries in the Netherlands and Germany were operated by private entrepreneurs. Later prisons were considered unproductive. Since the 1980s, a modern, for-profit prison industry has been established. Based on the U.S. companies such as the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA ) and Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (WCC ) have increasingly opened up the international market. Not specializing in prisons companies like Serco (UK) and Sodexho (France) have begun to participate in this business. Hitherto, except in the U.S., especially in Great Britain, Ontario / Canada, Australia, Chile and South Africa operated for-profit prison companies. In Germany, contrary to the provisions of a privatization of prisons. A first attempt at a " partial privatization " has been made with the JVA Hünfeld (Hessen).