This report, posted May 14, 2001, from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), prepared by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, presents the results of a national study to examine the efficacy of prison privatization. The report looks at the factors that have contributed to the increase in prison populations (which has in turn fueled the movement to privatize prisons) as well as the role the private sector currently plays in the prison system. "It outlines the arguments, both in support of and opposition to, privatized prisons, reviews current literature on the subject, and examines issues that will have an impact on future privatizations." Overall, the study found that private prisons operate much the same as public ones, with only marginal cost savings, and those savings mostly gleaned from reduction in labor costs. Note that graphical elements such as figures and charts are not available in the text version of the report.