presented as a revealing case study. This paper argues against the centralization of justice as performed for public interest. I support a hypothesis that the introduction of central prisons in Athens forced the entire justice system towards state monopoly. Before state prisons, customary private institutions restrained abuses of power and functioned well to provide justice. With state prisons, Athenian rulers faced lower costs to expanding their authority. Traditional norms of private property took second seat enforcement next to strict penalties for offenses against the state. The central prison and the secondary policies it gave way to were strategic actions for particular interests. Separating the broad transition of justice into individual policy actions in no way suggests a guiding motivation for the public welfare, instead each policy was enacted for rulers’ self-interests.