Sanders and Ellison have introduced bills to ban private companies from running prisons

[Uncle Joe]

Last edited Thu Jun 30, 2016, 10:16 PM - Edit history (1)

[floriduck]

1. Good for him.

[wallyworld2]

92. What's there

not to like and support about either of them.

Personally I think Senator Sanders would make a fantastic President

[saidsimplesimon]

2. Thanks Uncle Joe

Are we taking a trip "Back to the Future"? "Cool Hand Luke" days of slavery by judicial order?

Hope all is well with you and yours, best wishes.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Thanks, saidsimplesimon

all is well with me and mine, I hope the same holds true for you and yours.


Peace to you.

[saidsimplesimon]

5. All is well.

"Keep your powder dry"

[Stevepol]

91. The recent investigation of a private prison in Mother Jones is EXCELLENT!

It's online and can be found by going to

motherjones.com/prison

A great read and the site includes a number of video interviews and monologues as well.

[raven mad]

98. I'm a long time subscriber -

even have the Hellraiser t-shirt. And yes, the article was fantastic and horribly frightening. I commend both Senators for this effort.

[840high]

4. Very good.

[TheProgressive]

6. Darn that Sanders for being a Progressive Democrat...

[WhiteTara]

7. As a senator, wouldn't he introduce a bill

banning private prisons?

[Uncle Joe]

10. That's what they're doing, I just copied the title from the youtube video.

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2015/09/16/sanders-ellison-rush-introduce-bill-ban-private-prisons

[WhiteTara]

11. Oh, thanks

[George II]

69. Actually the title of the video is incorrect, the bill was introduced....

...in the House in October 2015 by Raul Grijalva. Ellison was just one of dozens of co-sponsors.

[tonyt53]

77. Is this along the lines of giving false credit to you know who in regards to the House sit-in?

[George II]

78. One could say that. But we all know that the Congressman who was most instrumental....

...in organizing that sit-in (researched the House rules, etc.) was MY Congressman, John Larson.

[Uncle Joe]

12. I took your suggestion and changed the title.

[WhiteTara]

13. ...

[jalan48]

8. I hope this isn't considered to be a "Too Radical" idea.

[passiveporcupine]

38. Oh...too radical?

Hell yes it will be too radical. Anything and everything we fight for is too radical.

Thanks Uncle Joe. I really don't want to laugh at concepts like too radical, but if I don't I'll cry.

[Nitram]

82. It's not too radical for Democrats.

But it can't pass until we have a majority in both houses.

[avaistheone1]

55. K&R

[bvar22]

94. Bernie just wants to give "Free Stuff" to our criminals,

...and raise our taxes to do it!!!!

[Phlem]

95. Exactly.

[phazed0]

9. Queue irrational haters in 3... 2... 1... nt

[ciaobaby]

18. they must be following mothers rule...

if you can't say anything nice........

[Nitram]

83. Oops, sorry I'm late.

Now who am I supposed to be hating this time?

[DianaForRussFeingold]

14. K&R

Thanks for posting this, Uncle Joe!

[Uncle Joe]

15. It was my pleasure, DianaForRussFeingold.

[PatrickforO]

16. This is great.

[appalachiablue]

17. Great job Bernie and Keith! Thanks much Uncle Joe.

[pnwmom]

19. Excellent! n/t

[IronLionZion]

20. If anyone watches Orange is the new black

it highlights many of the absurdities of having corporations profit from it. Cost cutting, overcrowding, weak security, low paid inexperienced prison guards, etc.

[Bluenorthwest]

70. The new season is very well done and greatly focused on the private prison issue as well as

the systemic racism in the so called corrections and justice systems. I just finished watching the new season and it's not easy to watch but it is very important material and I am happy it will be seen by so many Americans and others. The cast of that show is the finest ensemble on television, one of the best ever.

[IronLionZion]

80. It is very well done

I like the back stories of the characters to show how their lives were before prison. It's a very fascinating premise for a show and I'm glad they highlight important issues that normal people wouldn't know about.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. I hate to be cynical, but it doesn't stand a chance.

I'm not slamming Bernie for the fact that the bill doesn't have a chance, but private prisons are a multi billion dollar business. The companies that run them aren't going to shrug their collective shoulders and walk away from a generous milk cow just because Bernie & Keith threw a bill out on the floor.

They'll lobby enough of congress to ensure their future livelihood. Indeed, that's how they got the deal to begin with and like it or not, that's how government works.

It's easy to hand off the contracts, but not so much to retract them. It's not that it's a bad idea, but more of an incredibly uphill trek that will gather little support. In a couple weeks it'll be forgotten.

[HDSam]

30. I agree...

we should just give up and not even bother trying.

[JohnnyRingo]

44. I see your point

All it takes are a couple weeks of staffer and intern work to craft the bill, printing it out in volumes, and submitting it to Congress where it will be DOA.

As long as they're looking good by trying they should spend the rest of the year writing the "15% Payday Loan Limit", the "Assault Rifle Excise Tax Act" and the "Guest Worker Emergency Welfare Program".

At least it'll keep them busy.

[Uncle Joe]

46. Sometimes "looking good" is the beginning of fundamental reform.

Criminal Justice Reform: The current draft calls for ending the era of mass incarceration, shutting down private prisons, ending racial profiling, reforming the grand jury process, investing in re-entry programs, banning the box to help give people a second chance and prioritizing treatment over incarceration for individuals suffering addiction. The Committee also voted unanimously to recognize the role activists and recent movements have played in putting these issues front and center in the national conversation, as they should be.

https://demconvention.com/news/democratic-platform-drafting-meeting-concludes/

Of course we have many miles to travel on a number of fronts.

[sheshe2]

22. Update please.

I think this is awesome. Private companies should not be running our prisons for profit.

Yet this bill was introduced in 2015? Almost a year ago. Where does the bill stand now? I tried to google it and found nothing. The answer may be on the vid, yet vids are hard for me to hear clearly.

Please fill me in Uncle Joe. TIA.

[Uncle Joe]

23. This was just published today on youtube but upon

searching I can only find references to this from last fall and early this year.

I'm still searching to find any updates.

[sheshe2]

28. Thanks

I tried to find them, but to tired to search more. This is , as Biden would say, ABFD!

[passiveporcupine]

48. I am not finding anything from this year,

Bill: H.R.3543 - Justice is Not For Sale Act of 2015

Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3] (Introduced 09/17/2015)

Committees: House - Judiciary; Financial Services; Energy and Commerce;
Homeland Security

Latest Action: 10/05/2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism,
Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions)

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3543/all-info

there is along list of co-sponsors here:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3543/all-info#cosponsors
Among which is Ellison. This bill was sponsored by Raul Grijalva, in the House.

It's probably still just sitting in committee in the house and Sanders is pushing now to try to get some action on it?

[Raine1967]

25. Yes.

This is not something that Sanders introduced this year.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
https://ourfuture.org/20150917/sanders-grijalva-ellison-rush-introduce-bills-banning-private-prisons

I'd be happy if people didn't post OP's as if it were happening today. This was 10 months ago.

Sanders hasn't proposed anything in the senate as of late. I would like to see him get back to doing what he has always done best.

[Uncle Joe]

31. It was just published on youtube today so I thought it was new, I can't find

any updates as to the status.

[sheshe2]

32. I agree Raine.

From what I googled, I see nothing more about it and that is just sad. I can't even find where it was actually submitted as a proposal.

[Cryptoad]

33. Agreed,

Bern needs to get back to what he does best!

[passiveporcupine]

50. He will get back to the Senate when he has finished the job he is working on now

Which is helping to shape the democratic party platform for the convention. You know, like getting this bill on that platform. You know...the bill you said our new President would be happy to vote for.

After he has done all he can to promote a progressive agenda on the party platform, at the convention, he will happily go back where he "belongs".

[Uncle Joe]

39. I still can't find updates on the "Justice is Not For Sale Act" but on the plus side

it does seem that the Democratic Party Platform has called for an end to private prisons so it seems Bernie is still doing what he does best.

Criminal Justice Reform: The current draft calls for ending the era of mass incarceration, shutting down private prisons, ending racial profiling, reforming the grand jury process, investing in re-entry programs, banning the box to help give people a second chance and prioritizing treatment over incarceration for individuals suffering addiction. The Committee also voted unanimously to recognize the role activists and recent movements have played in putting these issues front and center in the national conversation, as they should be.

https://demconvention.com/news/democratic-platform-drafting-meeting-concludes/

[Surya Gayatri]

64. Awesome, indeed. But, until we regain control of both houses, a pipe dream, I fear.

[Loki]

88. All too common.

Good bills are introduced, then fall into the black hole of republican obstructionism. Until we remedy that, our government remains unable to function.

[babylonsister]

24. Highly recommend! Thanks

for the thread, Uncle Joe.

[sheshe2]

34. It was 2015

Where is the bill?

[babylonsister]

37. Maybe this

interminable election process got in the way.

[sheshe2]

40. It is being posted as new news.

That is just wrong. Op knows it and hasn't corrected it.

Reminds me of a Peter Allen song.

I love Peter Allen. Everything Old is New Again~

[Uncle Joe]

42. Here is some "new" news to go with it.

Criminal Justice Reform: The current draft calls for ending the era of mass incarceration, shutting down private prisons, ending racial profiling, reforming the grand jury process, investing in re-entry programs, banning the box to help give people a second chance and prioritizing treatment over incarceration for individuals suffering addiction. The Committee also voted unanimously to recognize the role activists and recent movements have played in putting these issues front and center in the national conversation, as they should be.

https://demconvention.com/news/democratic-platform-drafting-meeting-concludes/

I wonder if this will reinvigorate the "Justice is Not For Sale Act"?

[sheshe2]

43. Yes, the committee voted for it.

There are a lot of Democrats on that board. Collectively they voted for it.

That does not make your 2015 Video of Bernie correct. You admitted you did not know this was 2015 as the You tube vid came out yesterday. Yet when asked to correct, you let it stand. That is untruthful.

You are misleading people by not correcting your OP.

Whatever, go for it!

[Uncle Joe]

45. If it makes you happy, I have corrected the title.

I honestly didn't think about it being the act from last fall, to my knowledge the "Justice is Not For Sale Act" or Bills are still alive, I honestly can't find updates or the status on them.

Yes there are a lot of Democrats on the committee, there have always been but to my knowledge this is the first Democratic Party Platform committee that has called for an end to private prisons.

[sheshe2]

47. Never stated it was from 2015

[passiveporcupine]

49. There it is...just what we needed to see.

Thanks Joe!

[Raine1967]

26. Sanders and Ellison DID introduce these bills. It was last year.

BE wary of Youtube time stamps.

https://ourfuture.org/20150917/sanders-grijalva-ellison-rush-introduce-bills-banning-private-prisons

[Eric J in MN]

60. And ten months later, the Republican US House and the Republican US Senate have done nothing

...about private prisons.

[Chasstev365]

27. Outstanding!

[greiner3]

29. I seem to remember some Democrats support priveatly run prisons

Just sayin

[Cryptoad]

36. the next president will be glad to

see it come across her desk so she can sign it. Trump says all prisons should be private.

[nikto]

58. REAL Democrats don't

[Nitram]

84. I don't think there's anyone on DU who does.

[TeamPooka]

35. K & R nt

[zentrum]

41. Thanks Bernie and Keith! nt

[DirkGently]

51. Excellent. n/t

[BainsBane]

52. Introducing a bill isn't enough

They need to build coalitions to pass them. Bills that don't even receive a hearing in committee are meaningless.
I hope Bernie decides to stay in DC to put in the work to get this passed. Legislation doesn't become law on its own. It requires a willingness to work across the isle, or even cultivating positive working relationships with members of one party. in 25 years in DC, Bernie has only once been willing to do that--with the veterans bill. I hope he can change that. The issue is an important one.
I would love to see an end to private prisons, but simply introducing legislation doesn't warrant congratulations. It needs to be passed.

[sheshe2]

54. The Bill...

And the link are from 09/16/2015. So is the link to Common Dreams.

I asked that the date be corrected. It was not.

[BainsBane]

72. Oh, my gosh

Thanks for the update.

[Bluenorthwest]

71. It's fun watching people who attack Bernie with ease hesitate to go after him and Keith.

It says so much.

[dbackjon]

86. Sometimes reform takes a while.

A lot of people don't realize we have private prisons, or realize the extent.


Part of what is happening is education.

[BainsBane]

87. This was introduced in 2015

I since learned since writing my initial response. It's unfortunate that people feel compelled to recycle old news to elevate a particular politician, as though he rather than issues matter.

[tblue37]

53. k&r. nt

[PBass]

56. If I understand correctly, less than 10% of prisons are privately operated.

So while banning private ownership would be a solid step forward, it's only one step in solving the problems we have with our prison system.

(If I am mistaken with that 10% statistic, please correct me).

I'm not trying to downplay the importance of this step - prison reform (and criminal justice reform) is important to me. And I do believe in incremental progress (it's the only thing that I've seen that actually works). Just want to keep this step in perspective.

[Uncle Joe]

59. Bernie and Keith acknowledge in the video that banning private prisons isn't the totality

of desperately needed prison or criminal justice reform however I'm convinced it's critical to prevent tragic, national institutions from taking hold by nipping them in the bud.

Private for profit prison have no redeeming value, they're simply carcinogenic to a healthy criminal justice system.

There are no half steps that one can take in this, anymore than our nation being able to take incrementalist approaches to the evil institution of slavery during our early history.

They tried and it failed.

How for-profit prisons have become the biggest lobby no one is talking about

Several industries have become notorious for the millions they spend on influencing legislation and getting friendly candidates into office: Big Oil, Big Pharma and the gun lobby among them. But one has managed to quickly build influence with comparatively little scrutiny: Private prisons. The two largest for-profit prison companies in the United States – GEO and Corrections Corporation of America – and their associates have funneled more than $10 million to candidates since 1989 and have spent nearly $25 million on lobbying efforts. Meanwhile, these private companies have seen their revenue and market share soar. They now rake in a combined $3.3 billion in annual revenue and the private federal prison population more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, according to a report by the Justice Policy Institute. Private companies house nearly half of the nation’s immigrant detainees, compared to about 25 percent a decade ago, a Huffington Post report found. In total, there are now about 130 private prisons in the country with about 157,000 beds.

Marco Rubio is one of the best examples of the private prison industry’s growing political influence, a connection that deserves far more attention now that he’s officially launched a presidential bid. The U.S. senator has a history of close ties to the nation’s second-largest for-profit prison company, GEO Group, stretching back to his days as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. While Rubio was leading the House, GEO was awarded a state government contract for a $110 million prison soon after Rubio hired an economic consultant who had been a trustee for a GEO real estate trust. Over his career, Rubio has received nearly $40,000 in campaign donations from GEO, making him the Senate’s top career recipient of contributions from the company. (Rubio’s office did not respond to requests for comment.)

The Justice Policy Institute identified the private-prison industry’s three-pronged approach to increase profits through political influence: lobbying, direct campaign contributions, and building relationships and networks. On its website, CCA states that the company doesn’t lobby on policies that affect “the basis for or duration of an individual’s incarceration or detention.” Still, several reports have documented instances when private-prison companies have indirectly supported policies that put more Americans and immigrants behind bars – such as California’s three-strikes rule and Arizona’s highly controversial anti-illegal immigration law – by donating to politicians who support them, attending meetings with officials who back them, and lobbying for funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Showing just how important these policies are to the private prison industry, both GEO Group and Corrections Corporation of America have warned shareholders that changes in these policies would hurt their bottom lines.

In its 2014 annual report, CCA wrote:

The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by our criminal laws. For instance, any changes with respect to drugs and controlled substances or illegal immigration could affect the number of persons arrested, convicted, and sentenced, thereby potentially reducing demand for correctional facilities to house them. … Legislation has been proposed in numerous jurisdictions that could lower minimum sentences for some non-violent crimes and make more inmates eligible for early release based on good behavior.

(snip)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/how-for-profit-prisons-have-become-the-biggest-lobby-no-one-is-talking-about/

[Indydem]

67. PROFIT IS EVIL!

That's the bottom line of this. That's it.

Right now, there are more Republicans (from the libertarian wing of their party) supporting real prison and sentencing reform than Democrats. Too many liberals are wasting time on the for-profit prisons that they fail to see (or just don't care) about mandatory minimums, prison time for minor drug crimes, etc.

But we gotta stop evil corporations from running prisons, because someone is MAKING MONEY AT IT! And as we all know, there is nothing worse to a huge segment of the Democratic Party than someone turning a profit.

[elljay]

73. Wow, the Republican is strong in you

You are as far off-base as can be. We don't object to profit; we object to profit being made to the detriment of society and on the backs of our weakest members. There should be certain commons in our country, paid for by all by our taxes and benefitting all. Examples-Roads, healthcare, electricity, food safety, police, military and our justice system. If a person is convicted and sentenced fairly, s/he deserves to be treated with dignity and safely in a correctional facility. Decisions for the inmate's conditions, recreation, food, education, therapy etc. should be determined by what benefits society most, not what profits a corporation most. You wanna make profit opening up a chain of bad pizza joints? Go ahead, we bless you. You want to cut job training for an inmate who will otherwise have no job skills upon release so you can make a profit? Hell, no.

[Indydem]

79. Wrong end of the equation.

You blame the corporations who run the private prisons for these things (if they are actually even an issue, not rantings from people making assumptions).

I blame the government entities in charge of overseeing the prisons. They can set rules and regulations on all of those things you mention. Audit the prisons randomly and unannounced to assure that the standards are being met. I have a strong suspicion that this is already being done, and there are standards and checks being performed - the segment of our party that abhors capitalism just can't accept the idea that private companies are making money.

It is funny that the list of things you list as commons are almost entirely made up of private companies, operating with strong government oversight and regulations. Private companies pave and maintain the roads under contact, supervision, and inspection of the DOT of authority. Healthcare is provided by private hospitals and doctors under scrutiny and certification of their local authorities. Electricity is provided by private companies (in most locales) under the supervision of a utilities board. Food is produced by private companies under supervision and authority of their local and federal agencies. Prisons are absolutely no different in any way; a service can be provided by private companies under strict supervision, while saving the taxpayers money in the process and providing jobs.

[nikto]

57. There is no reason for ANY Democrat to oppose this bill

This one's a slam-dunk for anyone with a non-Conservative (i.e. genuine) sense of morality.

[Lunabell]

61. Simple.

Any Democrat should be against private prisons.

[Feeling the Bern]

62. This is why I will always feel the Bern!

[zebonaut]

63. And Don't Forget the Corporate Loonie Bins as well!

[Android3.14]

65. See how a little vision fires us up?

Clinton and the DLC would do well to pay attention and support this.

[Betty Karlson]

66. Bernie and Ellison are awesome. Some people just talk about improving the lives of PoC

(who are disproportionately affected by the prison industry), but these good and honorable men TAKE ACTION.

Bless them both.

[George II]

68. He proposed this about 10 months ago (~ October 2015)

[lonestarnot]

74. Good, something needs to be done about for profit torture chambers.

[sulphurdunn]

75. If a corporation

can run a public institution for the benefit of its owners, then the public should be the owners.

[Nitram]

81. I'm looking forward to seeing how they manage to get the bill passed.

[dbackjon]

85. Awesome - this needs to happen.

[harun]

89. I love the smell of Progressive legislation in the morning!!!!

[OverBurn]

90. Sure hope they get it done!

[brewens]

93. Idaho booted out the Corrections Corporation of America crooks. Freakin' IDAHO!

I'm in Idaho. If our half-wits can figure that one out, I can't see how those assholes continue to operate.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/03/idaho-prison/4304689/

[LAGC]

97. You can thank the ACLU of Idaho for that.

Sued the hell out of them good, once they realized they were going to keep losing more money than they were making in profits due to continually losing lawsuits in Idaho courts, CCA packed up their bags and ran with their tail between their legs!

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

96. Love the man. n/t

[senz]

100. Bernie always stands up for what is just and right.

It would be so easy to take the corrupt money, shut up, and live a good life as a corporate-supported U.S. senator.

Thank you, Bernie, for always choosing what is right.