Private Prisons

World's largest for-profit prison corporation marks 30-year anniversary

prison surveillance

This year, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the world's largest for-profit prison corporation, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. CCA pioneered the practice of incarcerating people for money, which has now ballooned into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Private Prison Opponents Hopeful but Vigilant

Executive Council Protest Aug. 8, 2012

Executive Councilors walk past anti-privatization protestors on their way to meeting at Manchester School of Technology

NH Labor News asked Arnie for an update on the campaign to stop privatization of New Hampshire's prisons.

With Governor John Lynch leaving office and a significant turnover in the membership of New Hampshire’s Executive Council, the danger that the state would turn over management of its prisons to a private firm has diminished.  However, privatization foes remain vigilant until the proposal is not just really dead but really most sincerely dead.

Stop Prison Privatization in NH

Now that the state has closed the door on its dalliance with private prison operators, it's time to lock it by passing HB 443.

NH Should Say "No" to Prisons-for-Profit

This article has also been published by the Concord Monitor, Nashua Telegraph, Keene Sentinel, and New Hampshire Episcopal News. 

Fault Lines: Punishment and Profits: Immigration Detention

The detention and deportation of immigrants has reached an all-time high under the Obama administration. Fault Lines investigates the business of immigrant detention and finds out how a few companies are shaping U.S. immigration laws.

Private Prisons: The Public's Problem, Supporting Materials

To support our claims and aid future research AFSC is making as much of the supporting documentation for Private Prisons: The Public's Problem available for download.

Private Prisons: The Public's Problem

A quality assessment of Arizona’s Private Prisons

Arizona has enthusiastically embraced prison privatization, with 13% of the state prison population housed in private facilities (the 11th highest percentage in the nation). Motivated by a belief that private enterprise could build and manage prisons safely and at lower cost than the state, the legislature has mandated construction of thousands of private prison beds. Little was done over the years to test actual performance of private prisons or to determine their cost effectiveness.

The complete report is 105 pages.

application/pdf iconAFSC_Arizona_Prison_Report.pdf

AZ Department of Corrections drops plans for 5,000 new private prison beds

Private prison opponents applaud Arizona DOC decision to drop bid for private prison beds; opponents criticize state's private prison report along with new proposal for 2,000 prison beds.

Arizona Prison Report

February 15, 2012 the American Friends Service Committee’s Arizona office released an extensive report reviewing the safety, quality, and cost of private prisons in Arizona – including six prisons operated by Corrections Corporation of America but not under contract with the state. The report reveals widespread and persistent problems in private facilities around safety, lack of accountability, and cost.

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