Private Prison Lobbyists Are Raising Cash for Hillary Clinton

Hilary is up for bid, and the private prison industry wants to own their piece of her:

As immigration and incarceration issues become central to the 2016 presidential campaign, lobbyists for two major prison companies are serving as top fundraisers for Hillary Clinton. Corrections Corporation of America and the Geo Group could both see their fortunes turning if there are fewer people to lock up in the future.

The future of both criminal justice reform and immigration are critical for private prison firms. The Geo Group, in a disclosure statement for its investors, notes that its business could be “adversely affected by changes in existing criminal or immigration laws, crime rates in jurisdictions in which we operate, the relaxation of criminal or immigration enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction, sentencing or deportation practices, and the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by criminal laws or the loosening of immigration laws.”

source

I think private prisons will be bribing err umm lobbying a lot of politicians to keep our current system of incarceration., there'snly one politician I can think of that says no to the lobbyists.

Go Bernie!!!!

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Not surprising since Bill Clinton's administration started for profit prisons.

It's interesting when you start looking into private prisons. People get all up in arms over these "for profit" prisons like they're spreading like wildfire and are everywhere...

There are approximately 2 million inmates in state, federal and private prisons throughout the country. According to California Prison Focus, “no other society in human history has imprisoned so many of its own citizens.”
...

The prison privatization boom began in the 1980s, under the governments of Ronald Reagan and Bush Sr., but reached its height in 1990 under William Clinton, when Wall Street stocks were selling like hotcakes. Clinton’s program for cutting the federal workforce resulted in the Justice Departments contracting of private prison corporations for the incarceration of undocumented workers and high-security inmates.

Private prisons are the biggest business in the prison industry complex. About 18 corporations guard 10,000 prisoners in 27 states.

Global Research

Okay, so out of TWO MILLION prisoners only 10,000 are in private prisons.

They're are only 18 companies in 27 states in 30 or so years. That's not really very fast growth, with only 10,000 prisoners...

So, as you can clearly see the private prison complex isn't nearly as big, bad, and scary as people make it out to be.

Just get some perspective...

a reply to: greencmp

Actually, if you look at the information, they started under Reagan in the 80s, not under Clinton.

originally posted by: greencmp
a reply to: AlaskanDad

Not surprising since Bill Clinton's administration started for profit prisons.

not true - they started under Ronny Raygun

Makes sense for them to want an authoritarian Democrat like Hillary in power.

Most criminals are harvested from big Democrat cities.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Now I am confused:

Nearly half of all immigrants detained by federal officials are held in facilities run by private prison companies, at an average cost for each detained immigrant is $166 a night. That’s added up to massive profits for Corrections Corporation of America, The GEO Group and other private prison companies:

A decade ago, more than 3,300 criminal immigrants were sent to private prisons under two 10-year contracts the Federal Bureau of Prisons signed with CCA worth $760 million. Now, the agency is paying the private companies $5.1 billion to hold more than 23,000 criminal immigrants through 13 contracts of varying lengths.

CCA was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2000 due to lawsuits, management problems and dwindling contracts. Last year, the company reaped $162 million in net income. Federal contracts made up 43 percent of its total revenues, in part thanks to rising immigrant detention. GEO, which cites the immigration agency as its largest client, saw its net income jump from $16.9 million to $78.6 million since 2000.

source

Maybe the private prison industry is lobbying Hillary Clinton now as she is the inevitable DNC candidate, and it certainly lobbied under the Clinton administration, but let's keep one fact clear: the for-profit prison industry lobbies/bribed Republicans on a much greater scale than Democrats, and it started under Reagan.

Influence Explorer: Corrections Corp of America

Top recipient: Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Top PAC recipient: Republican Party of Florida (followed by several other GOP PACs)



Maybe HC isn't clean when it comes to corporate lobbying from the private prison industry but she and Dems are small fry compared to their Republican counterparts who take in far more money from these influence peddlers. Follow the links on Influence Explorer at the industry-favorable bills lobbied by CCA - nearly all sponsored by Republicans.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Frankly, I don't see the big deal. What difference than the Public Sector Unions bribing Politicians ( Democrats) in their favor against privatized prisons?

Besides our public "rehabilitation centers" are about the biggest joke/failure in the history of this nation!

I'd give privatized prisons a try, anything would be an improvement over the current, rape-drug-murder facilities we have now....

Well if people want to get 'technical'.

It started under NIxon.

The Clinton Administration took the groundwork laid by Nixon, Reagan and Bush and embraced and blossomed the expansion and promotion of federal support for police, enforcement and the War on Drugs with a passion that was hard to understand unless and until you realized that the American financial system was deeply dependent on attracting an estimated $500 billion-$1 trillion of annual money laundering. Globalizing corporations and deepening deficits and housing bubbles required attracting vast amounts of capital.

www.dunwalke.com...

But on has to admit MANDATORY sentences, and 3 strikes, and your out was the biggest boom to them.

a reply to: nwtrucker

the difference is, IMO, that whereas the state has permission (more or less, and leaving partisan politics aside) from society to use force against individuals, no private person or corporation should have licence to do so*, let alone make money from it.

as far as I am concerned making profit from using violence against citizens is evil.

(* - excepting self defence, defence of others, the limited rights of citizens arrest, etc)

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: greencmp

Actually, if you look at the information, they started under Reagan in the 80s, not under Clinton.

This was informative, it seems to imply that there were some early adopters but, the practice was rapidly growing and enthusiastically supported by the Clinton administration.

It really got cooking in California with the "three strike" law.

For-Profit Prisons Are Bad, But the Drug War Is the Problem

I didn't know it went back that far.

a reply to: greencmp

Yeah, neither did I....

I mean, I knew about using prisoners for work projects (chain gangs) going way back...

In fact, I'm surprised they're donating to Hillary. I would have thought pro-profit + prison would be something Republicans would be behind (free market and less government).

a reply to: Aloysius the Gaul

Except, privatized prison would be contracted services. Restrained by the same criteria as public prisons.

Actually, as the gov't would oversee these private corporations, it is more likely that they would hold those same corporations to higher standards than they would to themselves...

a reply to: nwtrucker

I too think prisons need to be held to high standards.

But under staffing makes bigger profits; I remember Idaho having some issues with their private prisons:

Idaho investigates private prison | Idaho Press-Tribune - AP ...
BOISE — The Idaho State Police has launched an investigation into staffing levels at the state's largest private prison after state officials said they found ...

source

The CCA prison has been the subject of multiple lawsuits alleging rampant violence, understaffing, gang activity and contract fraud by CCA.

CCA acknowledged last year that falsified staffing reports were given to the state showing thousands of hours were staffed by CCA workers when the positions were actually vacant. And the Idaho State Police is investigating the operation of the facility for possible criminal activity.

A federal judge also has held CCA in contempt of court for failing to abide by the terms of a settlement agreement reached with inmates in a lawsuit claiming high rates of violence and chronic understaffing at the prison.

source

‘Gladiator School’: FBI Investigates Idaho Private Prison for Abuse

The prison is known by the nickname because of its kill-or-be-killed mentality among guards and prisoners.

The FBI has opened an investigation into one of the largest private-prison operators over its management of an Idaho prison with a reputation for violence, which inmates call “gladiator school," according the Associated Press.

source

It would seem that there are a few flaws with private prisons.

originally posted by: nwtrucker


Except, privatized prison would be contracted services. Restrained by the same criteria as public prisons.

Making a profit by imposing violence (which prisons are) is immoral in all circumstances (IMO) - only the state has the right, and it is not a right that is OK to delegae - it shold be retained by the state alone.

Actually, as the gov't would oversee these private corporations, it is more likely that they would hold those same corporations to higher standards than they would to themselves...

Except they don't - private prisons are measured by all sorts of yardsticks, and have a massive incentive to under-report negative events that will impact their payments/contract renewals, and also to encourage incarceration for profit - that is just not right.

And occasionally they get caught - eg just today - New Zealand Govt takes back control of Serco-run prison - citing under-reporting, failure to maintain manning standards for guard (they cost money dontchaknow!) - see some of the articles linked off that page for more background.

a reply to: Aloysius the Gaul

Are you sure about this incentive to under report? If there's any group in distrust as much as 'corporations' it's gov't and Public Sector Unions, frankly, two corporations themselves.

What is immoral is the current prison system. PERIOD. You omit that in your list of 'immoral' situations.

I, for one, would rather have any change to that system. Including privatization. The one concern I do have is the fact that this issue isn't debated by our so-called legislators with public input and the appropriate measures that improve the quality of the system rather than merely saving money.

In fact, the push for privatization is nothing but about the 'cost factor'. You can thank the Unions for that.....

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Perhaps. I also suspect Public Sector Unions having a vested interest against this trend.

When have we seen, other than movies, any exposure of the 'flaws' in our regular prison system?

Perhaps this is an indication that Privatization may work. At least, their flaws get exposed!

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: AlaskanDad

Perhaps. I also suspect Public Sector Unions having a vested interest against this trend.

When have we seen, other than movies, any exposure of the 'flaws' in our regular prison system?

Perhaps this is an indication that Privatization may work. At least, their flaws get exposed!

Here is a quick summary of the flaws in our regular prison system being exposed. This case began in 1972 and was finally ended in 2003. During that time, almost every facet of the Texas Department of Corrections was scrutinized. Major changes were implemented. These changes did not just affect Texas prison's, but numerous other states decided to implement some or most of these changes to prevent court battles themselves.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment--Ruiz v Estelle (1980)