PROFIT AND PENALITY - AN ANALYSIS OF THE CORRECTIONS-COMMERCIAL COMPLEX

The economics of imprisonment has been examined in a plethora of theor etical and empirical studies. As intriguing, stimulating, and policy-c hanging as these have been, they generally have not been connected to social contexts broader than prison overcrowding, legal issues, and co nservative ideology. This article attempts to respond to this lack of attention by offering a descriptive analysis of one neglected topic of penalty. It examines some of the business-related aspects of the Amer ican penal system and concludes that because that system operates larg ely by purchasing goods and services, the connections among crime, pun ishment, and business must be considered.