Detention Centers Record Revenue vs. Children Need Freedom and Sunshine to Grow

Today's News:

Immigration Officials Making Secret Deals With Private Prisons to Lock Up More Mothers and Children-- New report sheds light on how local contracts are boosting private profits from family detention.

"Since 2014, the mass detention of families in these prison-like facilities has been a foundation of the Obama administration’s immigration policies toward refugees from Central America, many of whom are fleeing violence and poverty worsened by U.S. policies. The human rights violations at these camps have been condemned by human rights organizations and the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and some have compared them to Japanese internment camps." See: Alternet

Private Prison CEO Unconcerned About Hillary Clinton’s Pledge to End His Industry

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the largest private prison company in America reassured investors earlier this month that with either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the White House, his firm will be “just fine.” See: The Intercept/

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History

This is Child Abuse: Social Worker Breaks Silence over Conditions Inside Immigrant Detention Center See: Democracy Now

Immigrants in Texas: ICE detention center is “the dog pound”

"Locking up refugee families and children continues to be a revenue generating tactic for both CCA and GEO Group," says Cristina Parker, Immigration Programs Director at Grassroots Leadership. "While the rest of the country was shocked and concerned by the humanitarian crisis at the border this summer, CCA and GEO were giddy."

Private, for-profit prison companies helped craft privatization legislation and lobbied for its passage. Approximately 441,000 immigrants are detained each year.

The detention facilities have been condemned for permitting horrendous conditions that have led to suicide attempts, negligent medical care, malnutrition and sexual abuse.

"It's not very often they have anything good to eat. When they do, they won't let us have seconds even though large amounts are left over. They tell us to wait until the next meal," said Lopez. See: www.peoplesworld.org

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How Private Prisons Are Profiting From Locking Up US Immigrants. Follow the Money

Lobbyists, Corporations all the billionaire slime-balls are in bed together turning poor, afraid children into profits and power.

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GEO, CCA, and MTC spent more than $32 million on federal lobbying and campaign contributions since 2000, according to a 2012 review of Federal Election Commission data, which included political contributions made by the companies' employees.

VICE reviewed federal campaign disclosures and found that lobbying firms linked to GEO and CCA have already contributed more than $288,300 to three of the leading candidates. Clinton's Ready for Hillary PAC received $133,246 from lobbying firms linked to GEO and CCA. See: Vice News

Clinton campaign gives private prison lobbyist cash to charity

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign made an $8,600 donation to a women's prison charity late last year and got the money from an ironic source: political contributions from private prison lobbyists. However, Clinton's campaign is still taking in much larger sums gathered by at least one prominent lobbyist linked to the prison industry. Politico

May 9, 2016. Private prison corporations tell shareholders that family detention centers drove increase in revenue

“The increase in revenue was primarily attributable to a contract at the South Texas Family Residential Center, which commenced during the fourth quarter of 2014. This facility generated approximately $70.8 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2016, compared with $36.0 million in the first quarter of 2015, as the facility was still under construction in the prior year quarter.”

The CCA press release also said, “Total revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was $447.4 million compared to $426.0 million in the first quarter of 2015.”

GEO Group also named “the activation of the 626-bed expansion of the Karnes residential center in December 2015” as one of a few major reasons that its “revenues for the first quarter 2016 increased to approximately $510 million from $427 million a year ago.”See: Grassroots Leadership

Here is who America puts in the dog pound for profit. Our beautiful children.

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Trump, Obama and Clinton are all have the same damn racist policies towards poor immigrant children of color. Clinton said she stopped taking money from private prisons and that she would donate the proceeds to charity... AFTER SHE WAS CAUGHT RED HANDED! Did she donate it all back? What about Clinton's bundlers for SuperPacs, which continue to accept private detention center money? I don't believe a word of Clinton's racist smokescreen.

America should be welcoming refugees with joy and open arms and open homes. America needs to learn from Canada where there are scores of public welcomes of Syrian refugees. I chose this one because it was a beautiful welcome of the first refugees to Canada in the very depth of despair.

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Aren't those two little girls beautiful? Obama - what a waste of a majority and a mandate. Would have been better off with Hillary. At least she'd be out of our hair now.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

enhydra lutris's picture

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

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kharma's picture

Nice essay Alex

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There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties.. This...is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.--John Adams

Alex Ocana's picture

Thanks everyone. My essays usually fall off the board with barely a like or a comment. No problem... I write them for my kids. I am surprised though... this seems like one of the most important topics of the day -- where racism, hegemony and corporate greed meets policy.

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From the Light House.