Summary

The various functions of criminal justice administration—policing, corrections, dispute resolution, etc.—have traditionally been the exclusive domain of the state. In recent years, there has been a trend toward private firms providing guard and protective services, building and managing penal institutions, and providing binding arbitration and conciliation services as a substitute for the state-run legal system. In this study, Professor Benson argues that the growth of these private alternatives is largely due to their effectiveness compared to the state-run criminal justice system.