Only some aspects of accountability have been addressed in this discussion, but it is argued in summary that the move to private prisons seems fraught with complexity and potential failures in contractual and public accountability. Paradoxically, Harding's courage in revealing all the vulnerabilities to help design a preferable private system at the same time highlights the probable failures. It is suggested here that it would be desirable for governments to spend more energy on exploring alternative roles for private/community involvement, such as contracting out for innovative prison activities and personal development programs. More ideally, in the light of the apparent failure of imprisonment, as a general policy, to reduce crime, create a safer society, or encourage social change towards those goals, there should be a reassessment of the categories of crime which result in high imprisonment rates, and the adoption of a 'prison as a last resort' principle. Privatisation of prisons, at the very least, will do nothing to contest the use of imprisonment as an integral criminal justice response, and at the most, may unaccountably influence public policy towards that end. W.A. would do well to step back from the current ideological drive that is largely inspiring the move to private prisons, and focus on clarifying criminal justice goals and developing sound rather than reactionary penal policy. Improving the existing penal system through a mixture of public and private consultation and initiatives could then support such policy.

Merinda Logie is the 1998 winner of the Paddy O'Brien Memorial Essay Prize. She is a graduate of the UWA Department of Political Science, and is currently completing her Law degree at Melbourne University.