No apparent legal barriers

- Private firms operate in every prison sector: Youth, community detention, state and federal. Minimum to maximum security.

- Private management of a county jail is acceptable under state law. In fact, the deleware county jail, near Philadelphia is managed by a private firm.

there is a strong and growing market for jail management firms

• end of 1995, more than 63,000 beds under private contract
  estimated growth by end of 1996 was to bring total to more than 80,000 beds.
• two largest firms are
  • Correction Corporation of America with