CoreCivic: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Lobbying Efforts: Wikilink ALEC, and expand a bit.
(5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 54: Line 54:


The [[American Correctional Association|American Correctional Association (ACA)]] has accredited 90% of CCA's facilities.{{citation needed|date= April 2012}} ACA's Accreditation is a system of verification that correctional agencies and facilities comply with national standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association. Accreditation is achieved through a series of reviews, evaluations, audits and hearings.<ref>[https://www.aca.org/standards/ ACA Standards]</ref>
The [[American Correctional Association|American Correctional Association (ACA)]] has accredited 90% of CCA's facilities.{{citation needed|date= April 2012}} ACA's Accreditation is a system of verification that correctional agencies and facilities comply with national standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association. Accreditation is achieved through a series of reviews, evaluations, audits and hearings.<ref>[https://www.aca.org/standards/ ACA Standards]</ref>

⚫
===Lobbying Efforts===

Employees of CCA, along with 2,000 state legislators and 250 private and corporate citizens, are active members of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council|American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)]]. ALEC, based in Washington, D.C., is actively engaged in criminal justice discussions in the U.S. Congress as well as state legislatures. A principal activity of the group is the drafting of model legislation for presentation by lawmakers to their respective state legislatures.<ref name="Who Profits From the Prison Boom">[http://www.diversityinc.com/article/8065/Who-Profits-From-the-Prison-Boom/ Who Profits From the Prison Boom]</ref>

⚫
According to the ''[[Boston Phoenix]]'', CCA spent more than $2.7 million from 2006 through September 2008 on lobbying for stricter laws.<ref>http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/73092-Freedom-watch-Jailhouse-bloc/?page=3#TOPCONTENT</ref>

In a 2009 editorial, political comedian [[Bill Maher]] is quoted, "Prisons used to be a non-profit business... The CCA and similar corporations actually lobby Congress for stiffer sentencing laws so they can lock more people up and make more money. That's why America has the world's largest prison population -- because actually rehabilitating people would have a negative impact on the bottom line."<ref name="maher">New Rule: Not Everything in America Has to Make a Profit, Bill Maher, Huffington Post, 07-27-2009.[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/new-rule-not-everything-i_b_244050.html]</ref>

In response to questions about their involvement in lobby efforts, CCA said it does not lobby lawmakers to increase jail time or push for longer sentences under any circumstance, noting that it "educates officials on the benefits of public-private partnership but does not lobby on crime and sentencing policies."<ref name="Who Profits From the Prison Boom"/>

⚫
CCA spent $14.8 million lobbying the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Office of Management and Budget, the Bureau of Prisons, both houses of Congress, and others between 2003 and 2010.<ref name="Who Profits From the Prison Boom"/>

===Controversy===

⚫
A team of government investigators, responding to an inmate's death in 2006 at CCA's large immigration jail in Eloy, Arizona, found the medical care provided there was so poor that "detainee welfare is in jeopardy", according to the resulting government report. A subsequent inmate death at the facility resulted in an additional inquiry and "another scathing report", as the ''New York Times'' put it, about the care provided by the company.<ref name="NYT 21Aug2009">{{cite news
⚫
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/nyregion/21detain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp
⚫
|title=Immigrant’s Death Shows Hard Path to Detention Reform
⚫
|publisher=''The New York Times''
⚫
|date=21 August 2009
⚫
| first=Nina
⚫
| last=Bernstein
⚫
}}</ref>

Facts about inmate deaths in immigration detention facilities, and even an accurate count of those deaths, have generally been very difficult to obtain, due in large part to the lack of cooperation from government officials charged with overseeing the care provided in them. In August, 2009, the ACLU undertook litigation resulting in the disclosure by the Obama administration that 1 in 10 deaths among inmates in immigration detention facilities had been overlooked and omitted from a list of such deaths presented to Congress earlier that year. Two of those deaths took place at CCA's Eloy Detention Center.<ref name="NYT 10Jan2010"/>

Documents obtained in the latter half of 2009 under [[FOIA]] requests made by the ''New York Times'' and the [[American Civil Liberties Union|American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)]] disclosed that CCA's Eloy jail had nine known fatalities — more than any other immigration jail under contract to the federal government.<ref name="NYT 10Jan2010">{{cite news
⚫
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/us/10detain.html
⚫
|title=Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail]
⚫
|publisher=''The New York Times''
⚫
|date=10 January 2010
⚫
| first=Nina
⚫
| last=Bernstein
⚫
}}</ref>

⚫
In March 2010, The ACLU filed suit against CCA in Idaho alleging that guards are not protecting inmates from other violent inmates.<ref>[http://www.correctionsone.com/treatment/articles/2017869-ACLU-suing-Corrections-Corp-of-America/ ACLU suing Corrections Corp. of America], By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press, March 11, 2010</ref>

⚫
As of December 1, 2010 the corporation was being investigated by the FBI for an incident at their prison in Idaho Correctional Center. A video released by the Associated Press that shows a prison inmate being beaten unconscious with guards watching not taking action. Because the matter is currently under litigation, the company has only said publicly that the release of the video is "an unnecessary security risk to our staff, the inmates entrusted to our care and ultimately to the public." CCA says it is cooperating with investigators.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11883673 | work=BBC News | title=Idaho prison guards 'filmed watching inmate attack' | date=December 1, 2010}}</ref>


===Inmate Rehabilitation===
===Inmate Rehabilitation===
Line 110: Line 72:


==Private vs. public partnership==
==Private vs. public partnership==
Discussions about the benefits and risks of public-private partnership for correctional facilities continue in the media, academia and think tanks.
Discussions about the benefits and risks of public-private partnership for correctional facilities continue in the media, academia and think tanks. Corrections Corporation of America is a member of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]], a private-public educational institution that advises on legislative best practices.


=== Advantages ===
According to a 2003 report, research showed that [[private prison]]s save money, as well as put pressure on the public prison system, constraining the escalation of costs{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}. Data showed that states using private prisons had more success in keeping public corrections spending under control than states with no private prisons{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}.
According to a 2003 report, research showed that [[private prison]]s save money, as well as put pressure on the public prison system, constraining the escalation of costs{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}. Data showed that states using private prisons had more success in keeping public corrections spending under control than states with no private prisons{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}.


Line 119: Line 82:


Economic benefits to local communities that house private partnership prisons include employment of hundreds of local workers, payment of property taxes and utilities, and purchasing goods and services locally.<ref>[http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2578538/ CCA prison has invested $32 million in community]</ref>
Economic benefits to local communities that house private partnership prisons include employment of hundreds of local workers, payment of property taxes and utilities, and purchasing goods and services locally.<ref>[http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2578538/ CCA prison has invested $32 million in community]</ref>

⚫
California’s prison system is overcrowded, over budget and in crisis. According to a 2010 study by the [[Reason Foundation]], prison privatization could ease the strain on California’s state government.<ref>Gilroy, Leonard C. ; Summers, Adam B.; Randazzo, Anthony and Kenny, Harris. “Public-Private Partnerships for Corrections in California: Bridging the Gap between Crisis and Reform.” Reason Foundation. April, 2010.</ref>

⚫
A comprehensive 2003 study by the [[Rio Grande Foundation]] surveyed prison expenditures in 46 states, and found that states with significant private prison populations save considerable amounts over those with no private prisons. For example, the study found that public sector facilities in New Mexico—which
⚫
contracted out 45% of its correctional system under the administration of former Gov. Gary Johnson—spent $9,660 dollars per prisoner per year less than peer states that had no privately operated correctional facilities.<ref>Matthew Mitchell. “The Pros of Privately Housed Cons: New Evidence on the Cost Savings of Private Prisons,.”Albuquerque, NM: Rio Grande Foundation, 2003.</ref>

⚫
According to a 2009 study by the MTC Institute, a "research unit" of Management & Training Corporation, contracted prisons have been successfully used in the US for more than 25 years, and are a viable option to limit costs with¬out compromising service. In the last 20 years states have seen corrections budgets increase 315 percent, from $10.6 billion to $44.06 billion in 2007. With state budgets in crisis and corrections being the fifth largest state budget category, many elected officials are calling for improved performance in corrections systems. A 2009 survey of 30 state correctional agencies, many of which use privately operated correctional facilities; also demonstrated contracted prisons are lower in cost than the public sector by 28 percent. Privately contracted facilities, as of December 2008, now hold 7.8 percent of all adult inmates in the United States, up from 7.4 percent in June 2008, or about 1 in every 13 adults in prison.<ref>Nink, Carl. “ Privatization in Corrections: Increased Performance and Accountability Is Leading to Expansion.” MTC Institute, December 2009.</ref>

===Problems===


Commentators and human rights activists have raised concerns about the morality of imprisoning humans for profit. Traded on the New York Stock Exchange, investors have an interest in keeping private prisons filled. Industry experts say a profitable prison must have a 90-95 percent capacity rate. In a 1990's report, Prudential Securities was bullish on CCA but noted, "It takes time to bring inmate population levels up to where they cover costs. Low occupancy is a drag on profits... company earnings would be strong if CCA succeeded in ramp(ing) up population levels in its new facilities at an acceptable rate".<ref name="cw">US: America's Private Gulag, Ken Silverstein, [[Prison Legal News]], 06-01-2000.[http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=867]</ref>
Commentators and human rights activists have raised concerns about the morality of imprisoning humans for profit. Traded on the New York Stock Exchange, investors have an interest in keeping private prisons filled. Industry experts say a profitable prison must have a 90-95 percent capacity rate. In a 1990's report, Prudential Securities was bullish on CCA but noted, "It takes time to bring inmate population levels up to where they cover costs. Low occupancy is a drag on profits... company earnings would be strong if CCA succeeded in ramp(ing) up population levels in its new facilities at an acceptable rate".<ref name="cw">US: America's Private Gulag, Ken Silverstein, [[Prison Legal News]], 06-01-2000.[http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=867]</ref>
Line 124: Line 96:
Jenni Gainsborough of the ACLU's National Prison Project notes "[There is a] basic philosophical problem when you begin turning over administration of prisons to people who have an interest in keeping people locked up."<ref name="cw"/>
Jenni Gainsborough of the ACLU's National Prison Project notes "[There is a] basic philosophical problem when you begin turning over administration of prisons to people who have an interest in keeping people locked up."<ref name="cw"/>


==Controversies==
⚫
CCA lobbyists have worked to pass or defeat private prison legislation in many localities, including Texas, New York, Illinois and Tennessee.<ref name="cw"/><ref name="pulle">[http://www.texasprisonbidness.org/lobbying-and-influence/texas-watchdog-looks-big-bad-private-prison-lobby Matte Pulle, Texas Watchdog, 07-29-2009]</ref>
===Treatment of inmates and disclosure of oversight===

⚫
Responding to an inmate's death in 2006 at CCA's immigration jail in Eloy, Arizona, government investigators found the medical care provided meant that "detainee welfare is in jeopardy". A subsequent inmate death at the facility resulted in an additional inquiry and "another scathing report", according to the ''New York Times''.<ref name="NYT 21Aug2009">{{cite news
⚫
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/nyregion/21detain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp
⚫
|title=Immigrant’s Death Shows Hard Path to Detention Reform
⚫
|publisher=''The New York Times''
⚫
|date=21 August 2009
⚫
| first=Nina
⚫
| last=Bernstein
⚫
}}</ref>

Lack of disclosure from government officials charged with overseeing the care provided resulted in an August, 2009, ACLU litigation. This resulted in disclosure by the Obama administration that 1 in 10 deaths among inmates in immigration detention facilities had been omitted from a list of deaths presented to Congress earlier that year. Two of those deaths took place at CCA's Eloy Detention Center.<ref name="NYT 10Jan2010"/> CCA's Eloy jail had nine known fatalities — more than any other immigration jail under contract to the federal government according to documents obtained in 2009 under [[FOIA]] requests by the ''New York Times'' and [[American Civil Liberties Union|American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)]].<ref name="NYT 10Jan2010">{{cite news
⚫
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/us/10detain.html
⚫
|title=Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail]
⚫
|publisher=''The New York Times''
⚫
|date=10 January 2010
⚫
| first=Nina
⚫
| last=Bernstein
⚫
}}</ref>

⚫
In March 2010, The ACLU filed suit against CCA in Idaho alleging that guards are not protecting inmates from other violent inmates.<ref>[http://www.correctionsone.com/treatment/articles/2017869-ACLU-suing-Corrections-Corp-of-America/ ACLU suing Corrections Corp. of America], By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press, March 11, 2010</ref>

⚫
As of December 1, 2010 the corporation was being investigated by the FBI for an incident at their prison in Idaho Correctional Center. A video released by the Associated Press that shows a prison inmate being beaten unconscious with guards watching not taking action. Because the matter is currently under litigation, the company has only said publicly that the release of the video is "an unnecessary security risk to our staff, the inmates entrusted to our care and ultimately to the public." CCA says it is cooperating with investigators.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11883673 | work=BBC News | title=Idaho prison guards 'filmed watching inmate attack' | date=December 1, 2010}}</ref>


⚫
===Lobbying Efforts===
⚫
California’s prison system is overcrowded, over budget and in crisis. According to a 2010 study by the [[Reason Foundation]], prison privatization could ease the strain on California’s state government.<ref>Gilroy, Leonard C. ; Summers, Adam B.; Randazzo, Anthony and Kenny, Harris. “Public-Private Partnerships for Corrections in California: Bridging the Gap between Crisis and Reform.” Reason Foundation. April, 2010.</ref>


⚫
CCA lobbyists have worked to pass or defeat private prison legislation in many localities, including Texas, New York, Illinois and Tennessee.<ref name="cw"/><ref name="pulle">[http://www.texasprisonbidness.org/lobbying-and-influence/texas-watchdog-looks-big-bad-private-prison-lobby Matte Pulle, Texas Watchdog, 07-29-2009]</ref>
⚫
A comprehensive 2003 study by the [[Rio Grande Foundation]] surveyed prison expenditures in 46 states, and found that states with significant private prison populations save considerable amounts over those with no private prisons. For example, the study found that public sector facilities in New Mexico—which
⚫
contracted out 45% of its correctional system under the administration of former Gov. Gary Johnson—spent $9,660 dollars per prisoner per year less than peer states that had no privately operated correctional facilities.<ref>Matthew Mitchell. “The Pros of Privately Housed Cons: New Evidence on the Cost Savings of Private Prisons,.”Albuquerque, NM: Rio Grande Foundation, 2003.</ref>


⚫
According to the ''[[Boston Phoenix]]'', CCA spent more than $2.7 million from 2006 through September 2008 on lobbying for stricter laws.<ref>http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/73092-Freedom-watch-Jailhouse-bloc/?page=3#TOPCONTENT</ref> CCA responded that it does not lobby lawmakers to increase jail time or push for longer sentences under any circumstance, noting that it "educates officials on the benefits of public-private partnership but does not lobby on crime and sentencing policies."<ref name="Who Profits From the Prison Boom"/>
⚫
According to a 2009 study by the MTC Institute, a "research unit" of Management & Training Corporation, contracted prisons have been successfully used in the US for more than 25 years, and are a viable option to limit costs with¬out compromising service. In the last 20 years states have seen corrections budgets increase 315 percent, from $10.6 billion to $44.06 billion in 2007. With state budgets in crisis and corrections being the fifth largest state budget category, many elected officials are calling for improved performance in corrections systems. A 2009 survey of 30 state correctional agencies, many of which use privately operated correctional facilities; also demonstrated contracted prisons are lower in cost than the public sector by 28 percent. Privately contracted facilities, as of December 2008, now hold 7.8 percent of all adult inmates in the United States, up from 7.4 percent in June 2008, or about 1 in every 13 adults in prison.<ref>Nink, Carl. “ Privatization in Corrections: Increased Performance and Accountability Is Leading to Expansion.” MTC Institute, December 2009.</ref>

⚫
CCA spent $14.8 million lobbying the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Office of Management and Budget, the Bureau of Prisons, both houses of Congress, and others between 2003 and 2010.<ref name="Who Profits From the Prison Boom"/>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:23, 10 May 2012

Corrections Corporation of America
Company typePublic
NYSE: CXW
IndustryPrisons
FoundedNashville, TN (1983)
FounderTom Beasley
T. Don Hutto
Doctor (i.e., given first name) Robert Crants
Headquarters
Nashville, TN
,
USA
Area served
United States
Key people
John D. Ferguson
Chairman of the Board
Damon T. Hininger
President & CEO
Todd J. Mullenger
EVP & CFO
Steven E. Groom
EVP & General Counsel
Harley G. Lappin
EVP & Chief Corrections Officer
Anthony L. Grande
EVP & CBDO
Brian D. Collins
EVP & CHRO
RevenueIncrease $ 1.736 billion
Increase $ 332.06 million
Increase $ 162.51 million
Total assetsIncrease $ 3.020 billion
Total equityDecrease $ 1.408 billion
Number of employees
16,750 - December 2011
WebsiteCorrections Corporation of America
CCA Communities
CCA Jobs
CCA Rehabilitation
Partnership Prisons
Footnotes / references
The 2011 financial statements.[1]
Eden Detention Center in Eden, Texas

Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE: CXW) (CCA) is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. The company is the largest private corrections company in the United States and manages more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 90,000 beds. CCA, incorporated in 1983 by three businessmen with experience in government and corrections, is based in Nashville, Tennessee.[2]

Company History

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) was founded on January 28, 1984 by Tom Beasley, Doctor Robert Crants and T. Don Hutto.[3] The first facility, the Houston Processing Center, was opened in 1984 and was contracted by the U.S. Department of Justice for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service).[4] The Houston Detention Center was built to house individuals who are awaiting a decision on their immigration case or repatriation.[5]

In 1984, CCA also took over the operations of the Tall Trees non-secure juvenile facility, for the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County. Two years later, CCA built the 200-bed Shelby Training Center in Memphis, Tennessee to house juvenile male-offenders.

In 1989, the New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility was opened in Grants, New Mexico; the facility has 204 beds.[6]

In 1990, CCA opened the first medium-security privately owned prison, Winn Correctional Center, in Winn Parish, Louisiana.[7]

The Leavenworth Detention Center, operated for the U.S. Marshals Service, was opened in 1992, the 256-bed facility was the first maximum-security private prison under direct contract with a federal agency.[8]

Overview of CCA

Founded in 1983, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) owns or operates jails and prisons on contract with federal, state and local governments. CCA designs, builds, manages and operates correctional facilities and detention centers for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshals Service, as well as facilities across the United States.

CCA houses approximately 75,000 offenders and detainees in its more than 60 facilities and employs more than 17,000 nationwide.

Recognition

CCA was named in 2008 as of the 100 best corporate citizens by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine.[9] The national military magazine GI Jobs has highlighted CCA as a solid employer for veterans[10] and also named CCA as one of its "Top 50 Military Friendly Jobs" on four[failed verification] separate occasions.[11]

The American Correctional Association (ACA) has accredited 90% of CCA's facilities.[citation needed] ACA's Accreditation is a system of verification that correctional agencies and facilities comply with national standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association. Accreditation is achieved through a series of reviews, evaluations, audits and hearings.[12]

Inmate Rehabilitation

A critical aspect of America’s prison system includes reentry and rehabilitation programs for inmates.[13] Such programs often include education, vocational training, addiction treatment as well as faith-based programs.

CCA offers basic adult education, post-secondary education, GRE preparation and testing and literacy programs to all inmates. According to national research, providing inmates with education and vocational programs can reduce the likelihood that offenders will commit new offenses upon release and return to prison.[14]

In 1993, CCA launched the LifeLine substance abuse training program at the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Nashville, Tennessee. The program is now available in 23 of CCA's facilities.[15]

In addition to the reentry and rehabilitation programs prisons often offer inmates recreational and optional faith-based opportunities, which is an integral part of inmate rehabilitation[16]

Facilities

CCA operates more than 60 prisons across the U.S.[17]

The T. Don Hutto Residential Center, a former medium-security prison in Taylor, Texas, which, from 2006–2009, held immigrant detainees, under a pass-through contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of Homeland Security.[18] On August 6, 2009, federal officials announced that T. Don Hutto would no longer house immigrant families.[19] Instead, only female detainees will be housed there. In September 2009, the last families left the facility and were moved to the much smaller Berks Family Residential Center in Pennsylvania.[20]

A CCA facility in Arizona was credited with helping Pinal County, Arizona, with being ranked No. 1 in a Money Magazine survey ranking the top 25 counties that have experienced the greatest job growth in the past eight years.[21][22]

Private vs. public partnership

Discussions about the benefits and risks of public-private partnership for correctional facilities continue in the media, academia and think tanks. Corrections Corporation of America is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a private-public educational institution that advises on legislative best practices.

Advantages

According to a 2003 report, research showed that private prisons save money, as well as put pressure on the public prison system, constraining the escalation of costs[citation needed]. Data showed that states using private prisons had more success in keeping public corrections spending under control than states with no private prisons[citation needed].

States with less than 5 percent of their prison populations in private facilities experienced a 12.5 percent increase in expenditures versus an 18.9 percent increase in those states with no private prisons. States with larger percentages under private management had even greater savings with growth in expenditures at only 5.9 percent during the period studied.[23]

In a 2008 study, evidence indicated that states can save a substantial amount of money if they use a shared system of both privately and publicly managed prisons. The research showed that during the study period (1999–2004), states were able to save up to $15 million on their yearly corrections budget by using at least some privately managed prisons. The study was overseen by James Blumstein, director of the Health Policy Center, Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies.[24]

Economic benefits to local communities that house private partnership prisons include employment of hundreds of local workers, payment of property taxes and utilities, and purchasing goods and services locally.[25]

California’s prison system is overcrowded, over budget and in crisis. According to a 2010 study by the Reason Foundation, prison privatization could ease the strain on California’s state government.[26]

A comprehensive 2003 study by the Rio Grande Foundation surveyed prison expenditures in 46 states, and found that states with significant private prison populations save considerable amounts over those with no private prisons. For example, the study found that public sector facilities in New Mexico—which contracted out 45% of its correctional system under the administration of former Gov. Gary Johnson—spent $9,660 dollars per prisoner per year less than peer states that had no privately operated correctional facilities.[27]

According to a 2009 study by the MTC Institute, a "research unit" of Management & Training Corporation, contracted prisons have been successfully used in the US for more than 25 years, and are a viable option to limit costs with¬out compromising service. In the last 20 years states have seen corrections budgets increase 315 percent, from $10.6 billion to $44.06 billion in 2007. With state budgets in crisis and corrections being the fifth largest state budget category, many elected officials are calling for improved performance in corrections systems. A 2009 survey of 30 state correctional agencies, many of which use privately operated correctional facilities; also demonstrated contracted prisons are lower in cost than the public sector by 28 percent. Privately contracted facilities, as of December 2008, now hold 7.8 percent of all adult inmates in the United States, up from 7.4 percent in June 2008, or about 1 in every 13 adults in prison.[28]

Problems

Commentators and human rights activists have raised concerns about the morality of imprisoning humans for profit. Traded on the New York Stock Exchange, investors have an interest in keeping private prisons filled. Industry experts say a profitable prison must have a 90-95 percent capacity rate. In a 1990's report, Prudential Securities was bullish on CCA but noted, "It takes time to bring inmate population levels up to where they cover costs. Low occupancy is a drag on profits... company earnings would be strong if CCA succeeded in ramp(ing) up population levels in its new facilities at an acceptable rate".[29]

Jenni Gainsborough of the ACLU's National Prison Project notes "[There is a] basic philosophical problem when you begin turning over administration of prisons to people who have an interest in keeping people locked up."[29]

Controversies

Treatment of inmates and disclosure of oversight

Responding to an inmate's death in 2006 at CCA's immigration jail in Eloy, Arizona, government investigators found the medical care provided meant that "detainee welfare is in jeopardy". A subsequent inmate death at the facility resulted in an additional inquiry and "another scathing report", according to the New York Times.[30]

Lack of disclosure from government officials charged with overseeing the care provided resulted in an August, 2009, ACLU litigation. This resulted in disclosure by the Obama administration that 1 in 10 deaths among inmates in immigration detention facilities had been omitted from a list of deaths presented to Congress earlier that year. Two of those deaths took place at CCA's Eloy Detention Center.[31] CCA's Eloy jail had nine known fatalities — more than any other immigration jail under contract to the federal government according to documents obtained in 2009 under FOIA requests by the New York Times and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).[31]

In March 2010, The ACLU filed suit against CCA in Idaho alleging that guards are not protecting inmates from other violent inmates.[32]

As of December 1, 2010 the corporation was being investigated by the FBI for an incident at their prison in Idaho Correctional Center. A video released by the Associated Press that shows a prison inmate being beaten unconscious with guards watching not taking action. Because the matter is currently under litigation, the company has only said publicly that the release of the video is "an unnecessary security risk to our staff, the inmates entrusted to our care and ultimately to the public." CCA says it is cooperating with investigators.[33]

Lobbying Efforts

CCA lobbyists have worked to pass or defeat private prison legislation in many localities, including Texas, New York, Illinois and Tennessee.[29][34]

According to the Boston Phoenix, CCA spent more than $2.7 million from 2006 through September 2008 on lobbying for stricter laws.[35] CCA responded that it does not lobby lawmakers to increase jail time or push for longer sentences under any circumstance, noting that it "educates officials on the benefits of public-private partnership but does not lobby on crime and sentencing policies."[36]

CCA spent $14.8 million lobbying the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Office of Management and Budget, the Bureau of Prisons, both houses of Congress, and others between 2003 and 2010.[36]

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Contact Us." Corrections Corporation of America. Retrieved on February 1, 2011. "CCA 10 Burton Hills Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37215 ."
  3. ^ CCA History
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ Houston Contract Detention Facility
  6. ^ New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility, Grants
  7. ^ Louisiana Department of Corrections
  8. ^ Prison Information
  9. ^ CCA Named One of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens in the U.S.
  10. ^ Corrections Industry Offers Steady Growth and Stable Employment Opportunities
  11. ^ Corrections Provider CCA Named To GI Jobs Magazine's Top 50 List of Military Friendly Employers
  12. ^ ACA Standards
  13. ^ [3] What Science Says About Designing Effective Prisoner Reentry Programs
  14. ^ Gerber, Jurg ; Fritsch, Eric. “Adult Academic and Vocational Correctional Education Programs: A Review of Recent Research.”
  15. ^ Lifeline graduates first class
  16. ^ O'Connor, Thomas P.; Perreyclear, Michael. “Prison Religion in Action and Its Influence on Offender Rehabilitation” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, v35 n3-4 p11-33 2002
  17. ^ CCA Facility Locations
  18. ^ Don Hutto Family Residential Facility, ICE Fact Sheet
  19. ^ T. Don Hutto detention center will no longer house immigrant families
  20. ^ Final families removed from T. Don Hutto facility
  21. ^ Where the jobs are
  22. ^ Money ranks Pinal #1 for job growth
  23. ^ Increased Competition in Department of Corrections Will Lead to Additional Savings, Virginia Viewpoint, June 2003, Geoffrey F. Segal, Virginia Institute for Public Policy
  24. ^ [4]
  25. ^ CCA prison has invested $32 million in community
  26. ^ Gilroy, Leonard C. ; Summers, Adam B.; Randazzo, Anthony and Kenny, Harris. “Public-Private Partnerships for Corrections in California: Bridging the Gap between Crisis and Reform.” Reason Foundation. April, 2010.
  27. ^ Matthew Mitchell. “The Pros of Privately Housed Cons: New Evidence on the Cost Savings of Private Prisons,.”Albuquerque, NM: Rio Grande Foundation, 2003.
  28. ^ Nink, Carl. “ Privatization in Corrections: Increased Performance and Accountability Is Leading to Expansion.” MTC Institute, December 2009.
  29. ^ a b c US: America's Private Gulag, Ken Silverstein, Prison Legal News, 06-01-2000.[5]
  30. ^ Bernstein, Nina (21 August 2009). "Immigrant's Death Shows Hard Path to Detention Reform". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ a b Bernstein, Nina (10 January 2010). "Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail]". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ ACLU suing Corrections Corp. of America, By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press, March 11, 2010
  33. ^ "Idaho prison guards 'filmed watching inmate attack'". BBC News. December 1, 2010.
  34. ^ Matte Pulle, Texas Watchdog, 07-29-2009
  35. ^ http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/73092-Freedom-watch-Jailhouse-bloc/?page=3#TOPCONTENT
  36. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Who Profits From the Prison Boom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CoreCivic&oldid=491815063"