Prisons, the Private Sector and the Market: Some Queensland Lessons

Queensland has two prisons run by private companies; the first contract was signed in 1989. In 1995 a competitive tender for a new prison was won by the QCSC against two private providers. Further, there is now a belief that prisons should be run on commercial grounds. The principal agency, the Queensland Corrective Services Commission (QCSC) has been divided into two bodies — a purchaser and a provider — to allow markets to prevail in Queensland corrective services. What can be learnt from these developments? This article will, first, provide a brief history of the changes; second, it will explore whether the initial objectives for the introduction of the private sector into the corrective system have been met; and third it will ask whether market forces can or should be a dominant feature and hence whether a corrective services system can or should be organised on a commercial basis.