It's not just about the profits: Privatisation, social enterprise and the 'John Lewis' prison: J M Moore and David Scott argue that the proposed Transitions prison represents 'old wine in new bottles'

Prisons in contemporary Britain are highly problematic institutions. From the outside we can see they are struggling to cope with rapidly increasing prison populations largely made up of the most social excluded members of our society, who on their release are more likely than not to face reimprisonment. From the inside the picture is even bleaker, with prisoners feeling unsafe in a violent and unjust environment governed by an authoritarian and alienated workforce. © 2012 Centre for Crime and Justice Studies