Since the early 1990s, British Governments have issued contracts to private firms for both the construction and the day-to-day running of prisons. The privatization of some prison services was pursued to cope with the problems of overcrowding in the UK’s prisons and to spread the costs of interning offenders. There are currently 14 private prisons in the U.K. who house around 15% of the prison population. Opponents argue that the concept of prison care is antithetical to the notion of commercial business and that it is morally inappropriate to profit from the punishment of offenders. Proponents argue that private prisons are are incentivised to operate more efficiently and can bring benefits to U.K. taxpayer.
Statistics are shown for this demographic
Response rates from 3.1k Non-Civil Parish or Community voters.
22% Yes |
78% No |
13% Yes |
69% No |
10% Yes, but they should be strictly regulated to prevent mismanagement and corruption |
9% No, private prisons will sacrifice quality of care and rehabilitation services for profit |
0% Yes, but eliminate contractual occupancy quotas |
Trend of support over time for each answer from 3.1k Non-Civil Parish or Community voters.
Loading data...
Loading chart...
Trend of how important this issue is for 3.1k Non-Civil Parish or Community voters.
Loading data...
Loading chart...
Unique answers from Non-Civil Parish or Community voters whose views went beyond the provided options.
@9Q3CF476mos6MO
Yes if it's a non-profit social enterprise that focus on quality, care, rehabilitation, education, treatment and support. No if it's a purely profit-making business
@9P69QF26mos6MO
I would have said no in the past but private prisons in the UK are better run than govt ones and less violent
@9P5K4ZL7mos7MO
Increase wage and skills of those who run the prisons to offer better care in hope of more restored prisoners
@9PMSJMD6mos6MO
No, private prisons will be susceptible to corruption and will care about profit far more than rehabilitation
@9PLDZTK 6mos6MO
No does not work, invest more in HM Prison Servic modern prisons are poorly designed. Victorians knew how to build prisons with a centre and wings that can be closed off. Use more open prisons for minor sentences which could be run by the inmates ie cooking building maintenance etc.
@9PH77GG6mos6MO
No, but since almost everything in the public sector is exposed to corruption, over bearing bureaucracy and terrible financial management, costing tax payers millions in over spends because companies rip the government off. So in fact my answer is yes but only because we're terrible at public works in the UK.
@9P6LYBD6mos6MO
No, with the removal of citizenship and only having basic human rights more people can fit into prisons therefore will be cheaper to run
@9MX5JLC7mos7MO
Yes, there should be SOME strictly regulated private prisons, unless this costs the government enough to compromise funding allocated to rehabilitation services.
Join in on the most popular conversations.