8 Comparing the performance and cost of PFI prisons against publicly-managed prisons is difficult because of the different ways they are funded, the variable proportion of prisoners of different categories, the variations in design, age and function of the prisons, the ways they are measured and the different targets they are set. The difference in capital financing between the PFI prisons and other prisons adds another level of complexity when seeking to compare costs. We analysed a range of performance data and ranked the 21 prisons in our study according to our findings.3 Within our study group of prisons, the best PFI prisons are outperforming most public prisons but the lowest performing PFI prison is among the worst in the prison estate (Figure 6 overleaf). Our analysis split the prisons in our study into three groups. Only one PFI prison was in the lowest performing group (prisons with five or more indicators of weaknesses), whereas four PFI prisons were in the highest performing group (two or less such indicators). The two privately-managed prisons, Wolds and Doncaster, were also in the highest performing group. PFI prisons tend to be better than public prisons in areas related to decency and regimes (such as the purposeful activities available to prisoners). They perform less well in other areas, such as safety and security. However, it is unusual for any prison, whether privately or publicly managed, to perform equally well on both counts which suggests there is a difficult balance to be struck between the two areas of work.
9 The Prison Service is developing more output-based and comprehensive techniques in order to provide a complete picture of the relative performance of prisons. These techniques will incorporate qualitative judgements concerning safety and decency of individual establishments, which are essential for a complete assessment of prison performance. This work also has important implications for the complex contractual framework in which PFI prisons operate (Figure 2).
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3 The prisons were chosen on the following basis: the seven operational PFI prisons, the two privately managed prisons, and 12 public sector prisons which between them provided the best comparators to the nine private sector prisons - see Appendix 1 for further details.