Prisons service quality: A study of data envelopment analysis

Adequate management, supervision, and control are essential for using efficient public resources, such as prisons. The success of policies relies on the degree of prisoners' reintegration. The cost of public services is transferred to taxpayers. Hence, governments and regional authorities aim to minimize costs by pleading for larger prisons (Titan prisons) rather than smaller ones without losing security and safety controls (National Audit Office, 2013). Evidence shows a higher engagement in small-size establishments. The prison population is rising worldwide to question the need for an upper limit of inmates assuring the effectiveness of internal policies such as humane incarceration for reintegration. Opportunities for reintegration start with education, for example, prisoners' engagement in educational or other activities during the imprisonment. I apply data envelopment analysis (DEA) for panel data (2018–2022) in the UK, accounting for fixed effects of the prisoners' background and regional characteristics. The study assesses the effectiveness of the internal reintegration policies according to the efficiency in using prison's public resources influenced by the convicted's background. The expected results are that a more structured family and economic and social background increase the likelihood of engagement during prison time, hence their reintegration.Keywords: DEA; prisons; quality service; engagement; reintegration