Profit behind bars? : Prison privatization in South Africa

Prison privatization has received notable attention in academic circles, but discussion has focused on the Global North, particularly the United States. On the other hand, little attention has been given to incarceration systems in general or prison privatization in the Global South. In this qualitative and deductive thesis, the subject of privatization in the field of correctional services is investigated with regard to South Africa, which stands out in the Global South due to it having two fully privately-run prisons, but also by having a large incarcerated population. The analysis is conducted based on an original framework of four levels of privatization, ordered from private involvement in the least crucial aspects of corrections management to the most, as well as the aspects of scope of privatization and the types of actors involved. Based on the analysis, the conclusions reached imply that private actors are involved to some degree with some aspects at all levels as well as that a variety of different actors are involved on different levels, and that the scope of privatization in South Africa is significant although this varies across levels. In total, this implies a relatively high degree of privatization in South Africa.