Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Black icon namesake on the board of a huge private prison corp. maxed donation to HRC [View all]TeeYiYi
(8,028 posts)66. Sickening...
If for no other reason, this right here is why I've lost that lovin' feeling for Hillary and the status quo. First Chelsea with her 'concern' about reducing the American prison population and now this duplicitous, elitist, one percenter donation crap. They're not even trying to hide it anymore. Just looking at the creepy, melanin challenged members of the CCA board of directors turned my stomach... http://www.cca.com/board-of-directors
Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), incorporated in Maryland and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is the largest owner of for-profit prisons and immigration detention facilities in the United States. The only larger operators of such facilities are the federal government and three states, according to CCA. [1] It is publicly traded in the United States (NYSE: CXW) and had approximately 15,400 employees in 2013.[2] In 2013, CCA was converted into a real estate investment trust (REIT), which will help the company avoid tens of millions of dollars in corporate taxes.[3][4] CCA's revenue in 2013 was nearly $1.7 billion, and it had profits of $300 million, 100 percent of which came from taxpayers via government contracts.[2]
Since its founding in 1983, CCA has profited from federal and state policies that have led to a dramatic rise in incarceration and detention in the United States -- a rise of 500 percent over the past thirty years.[5][6][7] As of 2011, around half of all prisoners in state facilities were there for nonviolent crimes, and half of inmates in federal prisons were serving time for drug-related offenses.[8]
Studies have shown that for many offenses, incarceration has little if any impact on public safety, and that time in prison actually increases a person's likelihood of committing more crimes.[9][10]
According to the Justice Policy Institute: "While private prison companies may try to present themselves as just meeting existing "demand" for prison beds and responding to current "market" conditions, in fact they have worked hard over the past decade to create markets for their product."[11]
Although it claims that it has not lobbied for bills that extend or increase sentences for prisoners, for nearly two decades CCA participated in and even led the task force of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that pushed bills like so-called truth-in-sentencing and three strikes legislation as models for states to adopt across the nation. CCA and its hired lobbying firms have spent about $21.1 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies from 1998 to August 2014 on bills relating to immigration, detention, and private prisons.[12] CCA has spent an untold sum lobbying for states to privatize or outsource incarceration responsibilities, and over that same period, it has steadily increased its share of both state and federal prisoners or detainees over the years, to 128,195 prisoners as of 2010.[13]
The company has become a multi-billion-dollar corporation that has been strongly criticized for many aspects of its operations, which amount to two primary critiques: (1) CCA's lobbying and campaign donations have led to federal and state policies and government contracts that fatten its bottom line, often at the expense of the public interest; (2) CCAs profit-increasing strategies constitute a vicious cycle where lower wages and benefits for workers, high employee turnover, insufficient training, and chronic understaffing can lead to mistreatment of inmates, increased violence, security concerns, and riots. As discussed below, profit-focused measures that affect inmates, such as withholding medical care or inadequate nutrition, add to the volatility of the situation. This, in turn, has led to dangerous working conditions for correctional staff. CCA's history also includes allegations of falsifying records, fraudulently billing Medicaid, violating labor laws, and all around "cutting-corners."
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Corrections_Corporation_of_America#cite_note-2013-10K-2
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), incorporated in Maryland and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is the largest owner of for-profit prisons and immigration detention facilities in the United States. The only larger operators of such facilities are the federal government and three states, according to CCA. [1] It is publicly traded in the United States (NYSE: CXW) and had approximately 15,400 employees in 2013.[2] In 2013, CCA was converted into a real estate investment trust (REIT), which will help the company avoid tens of millions of dollars in corporate taxes.[3][4] CCA's revenue in 2013 was nearly $1.7 billion, and it had profits of $300 million, 100 percent of which came from taxpayers via government contracts.[2]
Since its founding in 1983, CCA has profited from federal and state policies that have led to a dramatic rise in incarceration and detention in the United States -- a rise of 500 percent over the past thirty years.[5][6][7] As of 2011, around half of all prisoners in state facilities were there for nonviolent crimes, and half of inmates in federal prisons were serving time for drug-related offenses.[8]
Studies have shown that for many offenses, incarceration has little if any impact on public safety, and that time in prison actually increases a person's likelihood of committing more crimes.[9][10]
According to the Justice Policy Institute: "While private prison companies may try to present themselves as just meeting existing "demand" for prison beds and responding to current "market" conditions, in fact they have worked hard over the past decade to create markets for their product."[11]
Although it claims that it has not lobbied for bills that extend or increase sentences for prisoners, for nearly two decades CCA participated in and even led the task force of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that pushed bills like so-called truth-in-sentencing and three strikes legislation as models for states to adopt across the nation. CCA and its hired lobbying firms have spent about $21.1 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies from 1998 to August 2014 on bills relating to immigration, detention, and private prisons.[12] CCA has spent an untold sum lobbying for states to privatize or outsource incarceration responsibilities, and over that same period, it has steadily increased its share of both state and federal prisoners or detainees over the years, to 128,195 prisoners as of 2010.[13]
The company has become a multi-billion-dollar corporation that has been strongly criticized for many aspects of its operations, which amount to two primary critiques: (1) CCA's lobbying and campaign donations have led to federal and state policies and government contracts that fatten its bottom line, often at the expense of the public interest; (2) CCAs profit-increasing strategies constitute a vicious cycle where lower wages and benefits for workers, high employee turnover, insufficient training, and chronic understaffing can lead to mistreatment of inmates, increased violence, security concerns, and riots. As discussed below, profit-focused measures that affect inmates, such as withholding medical care or inadequate nutrition, add to the volatility of the situation. This, in turn, has led to dangerous working conditions for correctional staff. CCA's history also includes allegations of falsifying records, fraudulently billing Medicaid, violating labor laws, and all around "cutting-corners."
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Corrections_Corporation_of_America#cite_note-2013-10K-2
The for profit prison system, with its graft and campaign finance corruption and racist destruction of lives, is exhibit 'A' as to why I'm feelin' the Bern. How anyone, other than another one percenter, could intentionally vote for Hillary once they realize how deeply, financially invested she and her family are in the incarceration of America is beyond me.
The school to prison pipeline is straight up legalized slavery of the poor and minorities. America has more reasons than ever to still be ashamed of its unforgivably racist history. smh
TYY
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
110 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
![](du4img/smicon-reply-new.gif)
Black icon namesake on the board of a huge private prison corp. maxed donation to HRC [View all]
Waiting For Everyman
Feb 2016
OP
It is. There are some who don't give a damn and to think that this is true is disheartening. Thank
roguevalley
Feb 2016
#6
That is why there will not be those FEMA concentration camps unless of course they are run
LiberalArkie
Feb 2016
#32
It wouldn't be nearly as important, if it wasn't for Clinton WH's War on Drugs, mass incarceration
99th_Monkey
Feb 2016
#40
Anyone who supports private fro-profit prisons has no place in the Democratic Party.
seaotter
Feb 2016
#52
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC that endorsed Clinton also gets for-profit prison money.
arcane1
Feb 2016
#55
I don't like these prisons, but don't have a problem with liberals serving on Boards.
Hoyt
Feb 2016
#56
Political pull via campaign donations so the politicians they own vote to make everything illegal,
Ikonoklast
Feb 2016
#82
Very disappointing and troubling. I feel the private prison industry is a disgrace, but
MerryBlooms
Feb 2016
#67