The symbolic ownership of the corrections "problem": A framework for understanding the development of corrections policy in the United States

This article argues that the use of the concept of "problem ownership" is an important and overlooked tool for examining the historical changes and current transformations taking place in the corrections policy arena. Problem ownership refers to the ability of policy stakeholders to define the nature, scope, and boundaries of a policy problem and, as a consequence, to shape the laws and administrative rules in their policy domain. This article uses the concept of problem ownership as an analytical framework for (a) explaining the nature of historical changes in corrections policy and (b) predicting the future direction of corrections policy in the near term.