CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2017
| Author | Parrish, Michael Gaelen |
|---|---|
| Title | Private Prisons, Path Dependence, and Policy Implications in the U.S. |
| Summary | Over the past thirty years, critiques of private, for-profit prisons by academic, journalistic, and governmental sources have been widespread and biting, and helped lead to the Department of Justice decision in 2016 to phase out and end the practice. However, even before the Trump administration assumed power, contracts were renewed with minimal changes, and private prisons continued operating as before and making millions of dollars in profits. Through the conceptual framework of path dependence, based on Pierson (2000), Levi (1997) and Page (2006), I will investigate the reasons why the status quo was able to remain strong in the face of proposed changes. Through budget and time constraints, private prisons maintain their position, reinforcing it through lobbying, campaign contributions, and the “revolving door” between public and private sector, which leads to policies that lock-in not only company profits, but also government reliance on the companies. |
| Supervisor | Granger, Marie-Pierre Francoise |
| Department | School of Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2017/parrish_michael.pdf |
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