Kentucky Ends Its Use Of Private Prisons
(flickr: forever digital)
Good news coming from Kentucky! The state is ending its use of private prisons. We're hoping this trends continues and other states follow suit.
### via Courier-Journal
J. Michael Brown, the state Justice and Public Safety secretary, said in a news release Tuesday that the move will save the state about $2 million a year. And he credited a 2011 law and other steps taken by the General Assembly and the Beshear administration that reformed sentencing and increased drug treatment opportunities.
“This has created, for the first time in a generation, an opportunity to manage our inmate population with existing DOC (Department of Corrections) facilities, county jails and local halfway houses,” Brown said in a news release.
Turns out this private prison company lied about staying out of the immigration debate
Well, as if anybody beleived The Geo Group when they said they were going to stay out of the immigration reform debate.
### via The Nation
Read moreReport: Immigrant Minors Are Being Tossed Into Adult Detention Centers
The National Immigrant Justice Center has done a fantastic job of unearthing disturbing practices by ICE and immigrant detention centers.
### via LA TIMES
WASHINGTON — More than 1,300 minors — including several dozen 14 or younger — were held for days in immigration detention facilities for adults over a four-year period when the Obama administration ramped up deportations, according to a new report by an advocacy group.
The proposed immigration overhaul in the Senate aims to improve detention conditions for immigrants without legal status, but critics say the stiffer enforcement of border security will create additional backlogs for already overcrowded facilities.
For-Profit Prison Accused Of Subcontracting To Prison Gangs In Effort To Cut Costs
The prison reform movement has always maintained that the biggest and most powerful gang in prison is that of the guards. Well now there's more suggest that the claim is literally true. The Idaho Correctional Center ran by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is being sued by inmates who claim that CCA is staffing prison gang members and using violence an “inexpensive device to gain control over the inmate population.” Read more below.
via Think Progress
flickr img remixed: :Dar.
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Read morePeople Over Profits! The People Have Defeated The Corrections Corporation of America
We did it! Thanks to you ICE has stopped pursuing a Corrections Corporation of America private prison in Southwest Ranches Florida.
This would've been the largest for-profit immigration detention center of the country! By watching and sharing our video, by taking action and signing the petition or even by leaving a comment of support you empowered the citizens of Southwest Ranches & Pembroke Pines and and together we made the difference. Thank YOU! All your hard work has paid off and today we claim victory!
Read more
Debbie: Say No To CCA!
Why is FL Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz siding with the Corrections Corporation of America and not her constituents in Southwest Ranches? 98% of her constituents DO NOT want a new for-profit immigrant detention center!
IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT FOR SALE
We call on Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-20) to WITHDRAW her current endorsements for CCA’s project.
The Obama Administration announced a change in the priorities for detentions and deportations, to focus on real national security concerns, not on separating parents from their children or deporting DREAMers who are only seeking a better future.
It is time for ICE to stop the immigrant money making machine and tell CCA to GO AWAY from Southwest Ranches.
THIS PETITION IS NOW CLOSED - WE REACHED OUR GOAL!!! But feel free to leave your comment!
More Private Immigrant Detention Centers Coming: Now In Forida and New Jersey
Well now we know what the $50,000 in contribution from GEO Private Prison corporation to the Marco Rubio campaign (up to 2010) was buying. Coincidence? Highly doubtful. Private prisons have an agenda – more immigrants in – more money out and Rubio seems to be perfectly ok with it.
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Read moreCCA: Open Book in Vermont?
An ongoing committee debate is underway in Vermont that would allow the public to have access to CCA’s public records. Since CCA holds contracts with the state, they “are subject to the public records law, said Allen Gilbert, executive director of the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.” This is a bold move–one that would be very interesting to see if CCA actually had to share what it’s hiding behind closed doors. -Iliana
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Via VTDigger.org
Read moreFL Gov. Rick Scott’s New Privatizing Venture: Prisons
They’re at it again–this time in Florida. Rick Scott wants to privatize more prisons in order to “save the state money” or so the tall tale goes.
There seems no end in sight for CCA and GEO–especially, when they have the state, in this case, Florida, backing up corporate greed. -Iliana
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Read moreAn Inside Look into the Roberto Medina-Martinez case
It was a hot afternoon driving through the off roads in Alabama. I had no phone signal or GPS—but luckily, Marilyn McGinnis from Alterna, a non-profit immigrant advocacy group based in Lumpkin, GA agreed to accompany me to meet Bryan Holcomb, an ex-CCA quality assurance manager at Stewart Detention Center—the largest private prison facility in the US—to interview an ex-CCA employee.
I received the lead from Anton Flores, founder of Alterna and a Georgia Detention Watch leader. Anton told me he knew of an ex-CCA employee that may be willing to talk about the health and social conditions inside Stewart that detainees, including undocumented immigrants, face. I didn’t know what to expect as Marilyn and I drove from Lumpkin, GA to Alabama to meet Bryan. I called Bryan during my weekend stay at El Refugio—and he told me that I would have to go interview him that same day—he was soon to be leaving town. My immediate instinct was to say yes—even though I had not been able to properly prepare by drafting the appropriate questions. I packed up my HVX—and there I was on the road with Marilyn to interview him.
Read more
