One of the current issues in punishment and corrections is the privatization of confinement facilities (prisons and jails). Because private, for-profit correctional companies try to achieve maximum efficiency in filling beds to ensure profits, they are likely to use the transfer of prisoners from one jurisdiction to another more often than do public agencies. In many cases, this may occur without the agreement or the knowledge of government authorities, local officials, and citizens. This article reviews some of the legal and practical issues involved with transfer policies and looks into some of the recent cases of interjurisdictional transfers by private corrections companies and their implications for prisoners, their families, government authorities, monitors, and host communities.
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