Government-imposed reorganization and public service turnaround: quasi-experimental evidence from the prison sector in England and Wales

Alonso, Jose Manuel and Andrews, Rhys ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1904-9819 2026. Government-imposed reorganization and public service turnaround: quasi-experimental evidence from the prison sector in England and Wales. Public Performance and Management Review Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Theories of public service turnaround suggest that replacement of the management of public organizations is a potentially effective response to serious cases of performance failure. Using a quasi-experimental synthetic difference-in-difference approach, we investigate whether the UK government’s reorganization of the management of a large “failing” prison in England resulted in a successful turnaround in its performance. Our findings suggest that the prison experienced dramatic improvements in confinement conditions, safety and order after reorganization, potentially due to increase resource allocation. Documentary evidence indicates that the new prison management also achieved service improvements through the restoration of prison officers’ authority and better partnership-working with other public sector bodies.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	1530-9576
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 January 2026
Date of Acceptance:	6 January 2026
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2026 10:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183632

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