RESUMENEl presente documento realiza un análisis jurídico económico de los recursos de la Política Penitenciaria en Ecuador; se desarrollan temáticas a partir de la historia penitenciaria ecuatoriana y sus valores institucionales, hasta el planteamiento de la privatización del sistema carcelario a fin de reducir los costos de mantenimiento de las cárceles. La política del bien común intentar reducir los costos de mantenimiento de las personas privadas de libertad, sin embargo, la disminución de costos implica mejorar la calidad de vida de los internos; el bien común busca el beneficio económico y el bienestar de toda una sociedad. Por tanto, la política penitenciaria en Ecuador debe cambiar su sistema a fin de maximizar los beneficios a costos menores. ABSTRACTThis paper makes an economic legal analysis of the resources of the Prison Policy in Ecuador; they develop themes from the Ecuadorian penitentiary history and its institutional values, to the approach of privatization of the prison system to reduce maintenance costs of prisons. Common good policy to try to reduce maintenance costs of persons deprived of liberty, however, cost reduction invol-ves improving the quality of life of inmates; seeks the common good economic benefit and well-being of a whole society. Therefore, the prison policy in Ecuador must change its system in order to maximize benefits at lower costs. KEYWORDS: prison policy, common benefit, prevention policy, opportunity cost, persons deprived of liberty JEL CODE / CLASIFICACIÓN JEL: H76, L33This paper makes an economic legal analysis of the resources of the Prison Policy in Ecuador; they develop themes from the Ecuadorian penitentiary history and its institutional values, to the approach of privatization of the prison system to reduce maintenance costs of prisons. Common good policy to try to reduce maintenance costs of persons deprived of liberty, however, cost reduction invol-ves improving the quality of life of inmates; seeks the common good economic benefit and well-being of a whole society. Therefore, the prison policy in Ecuador must change its system in order to maximize benefits at lower costs. KEYWORDS: prison policy, common benefit, prevention policy, opportunity cost, persons deprived of liberty JEL CODE / CLASIFICACIÓN JEL: H76, L33