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  • "It’s hard to think of any organization that is as valuable in protecting the public interest in a time when it is in peril."

    Diane Ravitch, Education historian

  • "With in-depth, well-researched analysis, the team at In the Public Interest is an invaluable policy resource."

    Randi Weingarten, President of AFT

  • "[In the Public Interest] understands from other cities where they’ve done it right and where they’ve done it wrong."

    Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA

In the Public Interest

In the Public Interest

Democracy, shared prosperity, and the common good

In the Public Interest is a comprehensive research and policy center on privatization and responsible contracting.

In the Public Interest

Democracy, shared prosperity, and the common good

In the Public Interest is a comprehensive research and policy center on privatization and responsible contracting.

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Criminal Justice and Immigration Home Other Resources Publications Tools and Guides

Backgrounder: The Cost of Private Prisons

The private prison industry claims that governments can save money by privatizing prisons, but what does the evidence actually indicate? This backgrounder summarizes recent research and state reports related to private [...]
April 2014

Featured Article

Infrastructure Justice: Building Equity into Infrastructure Financing January 2014

Featured Article

Making the Grade? Questions to Ask About School Services Privatization September 2013

Home Publications

The Impact of Outsourcing on the Middle Class and Communities of Color

Recent research shows that outsourcing public services to private companies and Wall Street banks increases income inequality and adversely impacts communities of color. This fact sheet explains how outsourcing degrades the [...]
August 2013
Home Other Resources Publications Tools and Guides

Backgrounder: Insourcing

This backgrounder brief provides examples of cases where, when cost savings aren't realized or service quality declines, many governmental entities are turning to reverse privatization, or "insourcing," to bring contracted [...]
May 2013
Criminal Justice and Immigration Home Publications Responsible Contracting

Essential Public Interest Protections for Prison Privatization Contracts

This report includes a list of public protections that should be included in contracts when a state considers prison privatization. It examines crucial issues where a private company may have different goals and priorities [...]
October 2012
Home Publications

Profiting from Public Dollars: How ALEC and Its Members Promote Privatization of Government [...]

This report exposes ALEC's extensive privatization agenda by identifying ALEC model bills that promote the handing over of public services and assets to corporations, matching those model bills with related state [...]
September 2012
Home Publications

Backgrounder Brief: Profiting from Public Dollars – ALEC’s Privatization Agenda

This backgrounder brief explores ALEC's privatization agenda in a variety of sectors with a particular focus on what its corporate members stand to gain from increased privatization.
July 2012

Featured Article

Ask the Right Questions Before Privatizing June 2012

Featured Article

Floodlights Instead of Flashlights: Sunshine Laws Out of Step with Government Contracting Leaves Public and Lawmakers in the Dark March 2012

Home Municipal Services Other Resources Publications Tools and Guides

Backgrounder: Municipal Services

This backgrounder brief explores problems related to the privatization of municipal services, and provides examples of experiences from cities around the country that have considered or have privatized critical services. [...]
June 2011
Criminal Justice and Immigration Home Other Resources Publications Tools and Guides

Backgrounder: Prison Privatization

This backgrounder brief discusses findings from research related to prison privatization, shares experiences of states that have privatized prisons, and profiles a few of the major for-profit private prison operators.
April 2011
Home Other Resources Publications Tools and Guides

Backgrounder: The High Costs of Privatization

This backgrounder brief provides examples of recent research that examine the costs associated with privatization, share experiences from cities and states, and conclude with an overview of the various types of costs that [...]
March 2011

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