Who's your daddy?...

[stillcool]

this is an add-on to a post regarding the prison industry in this country. They say everything starts at home. When you think of issues like 'out-sourcing', immigration, and torture, keep this in mind:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/stillcool47
and then to really make you feel at home...

Private Prisons: Profits of Crime
By Phil Smith
from the Fall 1993 issue of Covert Action Quarterly
Private prisons are a symptom, a response by private capital
to the "opportunities" created by society's
temper tantrum approach
to the problem of criminality.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wackenhut
Historically, this bottom tier has been the locus of most of the publicized problems and abuses. But although these bottom feeders attract "60 Minutes"-style scandal of banal corruption, it is in the top tiers that the most serious potential for abuse exists. Wackenhut, founded by former FBI of ficial George Wackenhut in 1954, is the largest and best known, as well as the oldest and most diversified. From its beginnings as a small, well-connected private security firm, Wackenhut has grown to a global security conglomerate with earnings of $630.3 million in 1992. Prison management is only the latest addition to its panoply of security and related services. When the Coral Gables, Florida-based firm first entered the prison business in 1987, it had one 250-bed INS detention center. It now operates 11 facilities in five states housing nearly 5,500 prisoners. Wackenhut maintains two medium security prisons in Australia and boasts of "prospects for additional facilities in the U.S., South America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim.'' While some of its competitors in the private repression industry have specialized-Pinkerton and Burns, for example, lead the "rent-a-cop" field-Wackenhut tries to cover all the bases. Its 1991 revenues reflect its corporate diversity: The private security division contributed 43 per cent; the international division, 22 percent; airport security services, 15 percent; contracts to guard nuclear installations and Department of Energy facilities, 10 percent; and, last but not least, private corrections contributed 10 percent. Given the high rate of return in its corrections division-10 percent compared to 1.8 percent overall-Wackenhut has indicated that it wants to see that area grow.

Corrections Corporation of America
Its closest rival is CCA, which despite its youth and small size compared to the Wackenhut empire, has emerged as the pioneer and the industry leader. But unlike Wackenhut, CCA -like the second tier companies such as Pricor, U.S. Corrections, Concepts, Inc., and Correction Management Af filiates-is almost completely dependent on private imprisonment for its revenues. Founded in 1983 by the investors behind Kentucky Fried Chicken, CCA used the sales skills of Nashville banker/ financier Doctor R. Crants and the political connections of former Tennessee Republican Party chair Tom Beasley- co-founders of the company-to win early contracts. The next year, CCA cut its first big deals: to operate INS detention centers in Houston and Laredo, and to run the Silverdale Workhouse (Hamilton County prison farm) in its home state, Tennessee. In the next nine years, CCA grew steadily to become the industry leader, with 21 detention facilities hous ing more than 6,000 prisoners in six states, the U.K., and Australia. Its profits are up by nearly 50 percent from its 1991 end-of-the-year figures.

Pricor
Once number three behind CCA and Wackenhut, Pricor has taken a different tack from its competitors. It carved out a specialized niche within the private prison industry by convincing underused county jails in rural Texas that they could profit by accepting inmates from overcrowded national and statewide prisons. After cutting its corporate teeth on juvenile education and detention and halfway houses, expan sion into adult prisons must have seemed a natural step. In 1986, its first year of adult prison operations, Pricor opened minimum security detention facilities totaling 170 beds in Alabama and Virginia. By 1990, the company looked west to Texas, with its seemingly unending supply of prisoners and profits. Soon, it operated or had contracts pending for six 500-bed county "jails for hire," mainly in underbudgeted and underpopulated West Texas, and also with one 190-bed pre release center operated under contract with the Texas Department of Corrections. Although Pricor, fueled by its West Texas operations, posted fiscal 1991 revenues of more than $30 million for its adult corrections division, its Texas project was in shambles by mid-1992.

http://www.prop1.org/legal/prisons/970317itt.htm
IN THESE TIMES MARCH 17, 1997
Prisons
America's Newest Growth Industry:
With Incarceration Rates Soaring, It Was Only Matter of Time Before Entrepreneurs Sniffed Out New Business Opportunity
By Kristin Bloomer
Lockhart, Texas
------------------------------------------
-In 1995, allegations of rape and assault at the privately run High Plains Youth Center in Brush, Colo., prodded the state to admit it could not guarantee inmates' safety at private prisons. Run by the Rebound Corp. in Denver, the 180-bed juvenile facility houses youths from more than two dozen states.

-The Colorado ACLU has sued the Bobby Ross Group, charging delayed access to medical care, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, inexperienced and under-trained staff, and inadequate programs and services at its private prison in Karnes City.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since the prisons are on private property, the Texas Department of Corrections has its hands tied when it comes to protecting prisoners' First Amendment rights in such cases, according to Glen Castlebury, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Corrections. "There's no regulation whatsoever of the private prisons (in these matters)," he says. "They're scot-free to do whatever they please."

-Some of Wall Street's largest investment houses, including Goldman Sachs & Co. and Smith Barney Inc., are competing to underwrite the bonds for the prisons. (See "Jail house stock," by Ken Silverstein, page 18.) Other huge companies also have a stake. American Express, for example, invested approximately $31 million in the $38 million Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton, Okla., according to the prison's warden, Tom Martin. Great Plains is a private prison that houses inmates from North Carolina.

-Private prison companies have some powerful allies in the fight for stiffer sentences and more prison spending. For example, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which has grown from 4,000 to 23,000 in the last decade, gave more than $1 million to various California state politicians in 1996. The prison lobby is also supported by the National Rifle Association. Armed with an agenda of deflecting public fear away from guns and toward people, the NRA successfully lobbies for prison construction and three-strikes-and-you're-out laws. (See "The NRA strikes Back." (By Chris Bryson)

click on this Wackenhut link http://www.wackenhut-oakridge.com/
and here's what you get:

NOTICE TO USERS
This is a Federal computer system and is the property of the United States Government. It is for authorized use only. Users (authorized or unauthorized) have no explicit or implicit expectation of privacy.

Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized site, Department of Energy, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign, By using this system, the user consents to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspection, and disclosure at the discretion of authorized site or Department of Energy Personnel.

Unauthorized or improper use of this system may result in administrative disciplinary action and civil and criminal penalties. By continuing to use this system you indicate your awareness of and consent to these terms and conditions of use. LOG OFF IMMEDIATELY if you do not agree to the conditions stated in this warning.

http://www.ci-wackenhut.com/Research%20Services.pdf
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=91331&p=irol-news
National and International Resources
With research agents performing live searches of court records nationwide, online connection to hundreds
of county and Federal courthouses, over 120 area offices and Group 4Securicor operations in
more than 80 countries on six continents, Wackenhut commands national and international investigation
resources.
Customized Programs
Background screening services and public record searches are tailored to each customer's specific
need. Common background programs include the following elements:
• Social Security Number Traces
• Driving History Searches
• County Criminal Record Search
• State Criminal Record Search
• Federal Criminal Record Search
• Prior Employment Verifications
• Education Confirmation
• Credit Reports for Employment
• Professional Licenses and Certification Checks
• Sex offender registry checks
• Specially Designated National Searches
• FDA Sanctions Checks
• Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Searches
Consulting and Investigation Services
The Wackenhut Corporation
4200 Wackenhut Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
800.275.8310
www.ci-wackenhut.com

July 30, 2004
POGO's letter to NRC Chairman Diaz criticizing nuclear industry lobbyists' improper influence over critical homeland security tests
July 30, 2004
Chairman Nils J. Diaz
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
11555 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
Via facsimile: [phone]

Dear Chairman Diaz,

We have been encouraged by and supportive of the NRC's recent efforts to develop a credible force-on-force program to test the effectiveness of guard forces and defensive strategies at nuclear power plants. We were led to believe that the NRC would develop its own adversary teams for these tests. Credible adversary teams are essential for these performance tests.

Therefore, we were shocked to learn that Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the lobbying arm of the nuclear industry, has hired Wackenhut Corporation to supply and manage these adversary teams. This is more than a case of the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse. It is not an apparent conflict of interest -- but a blatant conflict of interest. As you know, Wackenhut guard forces protect 30 of the nation's 64 nuclear power plants. At nearly 50 percent of the nuclear plants, then, Wackenhut guard forces would be tested by Wackenhut adversaries. Under these conditions no one would have any confidence in the results of these force-on-force tests, regardless of whatever oversight the NRC might provide. The NRC should not abdicate its responsibility to run security preparedness tests to the nuclear industry, much less hand over authority to the very entity being tested. (Appendix A)

Having a trained full-time adversary force is a good idea, but any benefit gained is lost by the current arrangement. Oversight of critical infrastructure security is an inherently governmental function and must not be entrusted to a private company, particularly one with an obvious self-interest and a poor track record, like Wackenhut.

If this inappropriate arrangement were not enough for the commission to reclaim the force-on-force program, Wackenhut's dubious past performance should. Some examples of Wackenhut's performance:

As recently as last January, DOE inspector general reported that Wackenhut personnel had cheated during a force-on-force exercise of June 2003 at the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. This facility houses hundreds of tons of highly enriched uranium. The inspector general, Greg Friedman, said the test results were "tainted and unreliable." Moreover, Friedman gleaned from more than 30 testimonies that this was part of "a pattern of actions" dating back almost two decades. (Appendix B)

A stunning case study of Wackenhut's incompetence with nuclear security:

Between 1986 and 2003, Wackenhut provided security at Indian Point #2 Nuclear Power plant, which is less than 35 miles north of Manhattan. The utility, Entergy, that had recently acquired the plant, hired a consultant to conduct an internal probe of security at the facility; and found:

* "Only 19 percent of the security officers stated that they could adequately defend the plant."

* Some officers believed that as many as "50 per cent of the force may not be physically able to meet the demands of defending the plant;"

* Wackenhut allowed guards to take their weapons qualifying tests over and over again until they passed;

* Citing officers' fears of retaliation for raising concerns, the report said, "The security officers stated that a chilled environment existed among security officers... as a result of issues related to Wackenhut site management;"

* Guards told of minimal training, of other guards reporting for duty drunk, of security drills that were carefully staged by Wackenhut to insure that mock attackers would be repelled, and of out of shape guards forced to work 70 to 80 hours or more per week. Entergy subsequently terminated Wackenhut's contract as a result of the investigation. (Appendix C)

The vast majority of the almost 200 guards at both NRC and Energy department sites that have complained to POGO about security problems have been Wackenhut employees.

Another of Wackenhut's most notorious cases came in the 1990s and involved Wackenhut's work on the Alaskan pipeline. Chuck Hamel coordinated a number of whistleblowers who testified about serious structural problems before Congress (Hamel is currently a member of POGO's board of directors but was not at the time of this case). Wackenhut then fired most of the whistleblowers and mounted a massive undercover surveillance operation against Mr. Hamel. The undercover private investigators acquired the Hamel family private phone records - to identify and fire pipeline whistleblowers. Wackenhut also used clandestine and malicious tactics such as stealing his garbage, creating a phony environmental front-organization, employing hidden cameras in hotel rooms in an attempt to compromise him with women, and stationing, for several months, an eavesdropping electronics van beside his Alexandria, Va., home. Federal Judge Stanley Sporkin, during the 1993 U.S. District Court proceedings, described the details of Wackenhut's operation on Mr. Hamel as "horrendous" and "reminiscent of Nazi Germany." Judge Sporkin further observed, "no one should be subjected to the kind of treatment the Hamels were." (Appendix D)

We have another major concern about the NRC's reliance on Wackenhut to provide security - and now the testing of security - at our nation's nuclear power plants. As you probably know, the Department of Homeland Security has a pilot program to evaluate the possibility of private contractors taking over passenger and checked bag screening from the federal government at some U.S. airports. The legislation authorizing the pilot program - the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 - specifically prohibits foreign firms from being hired to handle screening. Congress wanted to preserve the security of such critical infrastructure for domestic companies.

Why is the NRC, a federal regulatory agency with responsibility for security of nuclear power plants, increasing rather than decreasing reliance on a foreign owned corporation - Wackenhut - to manage security at the majority of U.S. nuclear power plants? Why would the United States government want a foreign corporation to know the defensive strategies, vulnerabilities, targets, timelines, and protective weapons of nuclear power plants, some of which are close to U.S. cities?

Wackenhut is owned by Group 4 Falck A/S, a Danish company, which has just merged with a British firm, Securicor, PLC. Securicor is the parent company of Cognisa - the same company that was in charge of airport security on Sept. 11, 2001 when terrorists with weapons passed through checkpoints at Washington-Dulles and Newark International Airports (back then the company called itself Argenbright). We now have one mega-foreign owned corporation with an abysmal record inside the U.S. operating security at many of our nuclear power plants.1

We are not suggesting that Group 4 Falck-Securicor would disseminate this information to a terrorist group or foreign power. The point is that the U.S. government and the nuclear power utilities should keep this critical information in as few hands as possible, or the risk increases.

Security of nuclear power plants is a fundamental homeland security issue. If the NRC does not have the resources to support this effort, then it is imperative that you ask the Department of Homeland Security to provide this funding.

As always, we would be happy to meet with you to discuss our concerns.

Sincerely,

Danielle Brian
Executive Director

1. We are aware of the procedures of the Foreign Ownership, Control and Influence (FOCI) programs. We are not confident that the oversight of the foreign corporation is adequate to ensure that the so-called firewall between the domestic subsidary and the foreign owner is effective.
http://www.pogo.org/p/homeland/hl-040708-nrc.html

The following is a text of the Senators’ letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Army:

September 25, 2006

Lieutenant General Stanley E. Green
Inspector General
United States Army

Dear General Green:

We have been contacted by a group of current and former employees of Wackenhut Corporation, the private contractor that handles security for the Holston Army Ammunition Plant in Kingsport, Tennessee, who describe serious security lapses at the plant.

As you know, the Holston plant produces explosives used in U.S. weapons systems, including the Sidewinder, Hellfire, Tomahawk and Javelin missiles. As one Army spokesperson has explained, “I think you can safely say if it goes boom, it comes from here.”

These whistleblowers tell us that Wackenhut provides lax security at this key facility and have described several specific incidents. The whistleblowers’ accounts include the following:

*
Wackenhut has failed to secure the facility. Civilians in rowboats have gained access to the plant by water. Holes cut in the fence around the perimeter are frequently found. Buildings containing high explosives are often left unlocked. Expensive specialized equipment, including an x-ray machine and explosive detection technology, purchased to secure the facility is not used.
*
Wackenhut does not take security breaches seriously. Guards rarely patrol some of the buildings containing high explosives. And to save gas, Wackenhut has cut back on perimeter patrols.
*
Wackenhut has misled investigators during drills and inspections. For instance, hydraulic vehicle barriers are installed for official inspections and then removed once the inspections are completed. Similarly, during one inspection, the company enlisted the on-site mailman (a Wackenhut employee) to do a “plain clothes perimeter patrol.” Wackenhut did not disclose the mailman’s actual job responsibilities to inspectors.

Given the threat of terrorism facing our country and the dangerous explosives manufactured at this facility, these allegations raise grave concerns.

We would note that earlier this year we requested that the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security conduct an investigation of allegations by Wackenhut whistleblowers of similar, serious security problems at the DHS Washington headquarters. Subsequent to our request, Wackenhut was dropped from that contract, and replaced with a different contractor.

In view of the above, we request that you conduct a prompt investigation of these allegations. Because of the sensitivity of these alleged security breaches, we will forward you the detailed information we have obtained from the whistleblowers under separate cover. Please have your staff contact Gabriel Adler in the Dorgan office at [phone] or Alex Perkins in the Wyden office at [phone] to arrange this.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Sen. Ron Wyden
Sen. Byron Dorgan
http://wyden.senate.gov/media/2006/09252006_Security_Concerns_at_Army_Explosives_Plant.htm

Wackenhut Corrections Comments On Pending Merger of The Wackenhut Corporation With Group 4 Falck
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (NYSE: WHC) today reported that its parent company, The Wackenhut Corporation , signed a definitive merger agreement with Group 4 Falck, a multinational security and correctional services company. The completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of The Wackenhut Corporation (TWC) shareholders and board of directors, as well as the concurrence of the requisite regulatory agencies. The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-year 2002. Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (WCC) will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange, and, once the transaction is consummated, TWC's 57% majority ownership of WCC will transfer to Group 4 Falck. As a prerequisite to this transfer of WCC shares to Group 4 Falck, WCC's board of directors formed a special committee of independent directors to investigate and evaluate the transaction. The committee recommended approving the transaction.

George C. Zoley, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WCC said, "There will be no change in WCC's corporate structure or its commitment to providing quality services to each of its customers worldwide. Our current executive leadership and management team will be unaffected by this transaction. WCC's regional management, a key point of contact for WCC's clients worldwide, will remain intact. Further, WCC has secured sufficient safeguards to guarantee unhampered global competition in a concerted effort to protect the independence of each company."
"The merger is not anticipated to have a material effect on WCC's previously announced earnings guidance. WCC continues to remain focused on growth, improving bottom line performance and aggressively pursuing its promising pipeline of new business opportunities," Zoley concluded.
Group 4 Falck is the world's second largest provider of security services. The Company is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and is publicly traded on the Copenhagen Exchange. Group 4 Falck has activities in more than 50 countries with over 140,000 employees and annual revenues of approximately U.S. $2.5 billion. The Company has three core businesses: security, safety and global solutions. Global solutions include facility management, development and management of prison and detention facilities, prisoner transportation, and immigration services in the countries of Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
11/18/03 Wackenhut Corrections Corporation Announces Shareholder Approval of Name Change to the Geo Group, Inc.
3/04/04 The GEO Group, Inc. Announces All-Cash Proposal To Buy Global Solutions Limited For 200 Million Pounds Sterling
9/16/04 The GEO Group, Inc. Announces Renewal of Texas Juvenile Contract for Two-Year Term
07/14/05 The GEO Group, Inc. to Acquire Correctional Services Corporation; Plans to Divest

Profile
The GEO Group (NYSE: GEO) is a world leader in the delivery of diversified services to government agencies around the globe
Stock Quote
GEO (Common Stock)
Exchange NYSE (US Dollar)
Price $49.95
Change (%) Stock is Up 0.61 (1.24%)
Volume 39,600
http://www.thegeogroupinc.com/whatwedo.asp
GEO GROUP
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
621 NW 53rd Street, Suite 700
Boca Raton, Florida 33487
United States
Phone: [phone]
NORTH AMERICAN SERVICES
We are a world leader in the privatized development and/or management of correctional facilities. The North American market is growing rapidly, and we are focused on expanding Federal procurement opportunities. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is operating over capacity and Federal law now authorizes longer term contracts than ever before, resulting in more favorable financing alternatives for new privatized development.

OWNED FACILITIES LEASED TO OTHER PROVIDERS
GEO currently owns two facilities and leases them to other correctional services providers:
* Delaney Hall, located near Neward, New Jersey, a 790-bed facility leased to Community Educational Centers (CEC).
* Mesa Verde Community Correctional Facility, located in Bakersfield, California, a 360-bed facility leased to Cornell Companies.
North American Facilities:
ALLEN CORRECTIONAL CENTER Kinder, Louisiana
ARIZONA STATE PRISON - FLORENCE WEST Florence, Arizona
ARIZONA STATE PRISON - PHOENIX WEST Phoenix, Arizona
AURORA ICE PROCESSING CENTER Aurora, Colorado
BILL CLAYTON DETENTION CENTER Littlefield, Texas
BRIDGEPORT CORRECTIONAL CENTER Bridgeport, Texas
BRONX COMMUNITY RE-ENTRY CENTER Bronx, New York
BROOKLYN COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER Brooklyn, New York
BROWARD TRANSITION CENTER Deerfield Beach, Florida
CENTRAL ARIZONA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Florence, Arizona
CENTRAL REGIONAL OFFICE New Braunfels, Texas
CENTRAL TEXAS DETENTION FACILITY San Antonio, Texas
CENTRAL VALLEY MODIFIED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY McFarland, California
CLEVELAND CORRECTIONAL CENTER Cleveland, Texas
COKE COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER Bronte, Texas
DESERT VIEW MODIFIED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Adelanto, California
DICKENS COUNTY CORRECTIONAL CENTER Spur, Texas
EAST MISSISSIPPI CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Meridian, Mississippi
EASTERN REGIONAL OFFICE Charlotte, North Carolina
FORT WORTH COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS FACILITY Fort Worth, Texas
FRIO COUNTY DETENTION CENTER Pearsall, Texas
GEORGE W. HILL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Thornton, Pennsylvania
GOLDEN STATE MODIFIED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY McFarland, California
GRACEVILLE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Graceville, Florida
GUADALUPE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Santa Rosa, New Mexico
GUANTANAMO BAY (GTMO) MIGRANT OPERATIONS CENTER FPO, AE 09593-88,
JEFFERSON COUNTY DOWNTOWN JAIL Beaumont, Texas
KARNES CORRECTIONAL CENTER Karnes City, Texas
LAWRENCEVILLE CORRECTIONAL CENTER Lawrenceville, Virginia
LAWTON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Lawton, Oklahoma
LEA COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Hobbs, New Mexico
LOCKHART SECURE WORK PROGRAM FACILITIES Lockhart, Texas
MARSHALL COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Holly Springs, Mississippi
McFARLAND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY McFarland, California
MONTGOMERY COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY Montgomery, Texas
MOORE HAVEN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Moore Haven, Florida
NEW BRUNSWICK YOUTH CENTRE Miramichi, New Brunswick
NEW CASTLE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY New Castle, Indiana
NEWTON COUNTY CORRECTIONAL CENTER Newton, Texas
NORTH TEXAS INTERMEDIATE SANCTION FACILITY Fort Worth, Texas
NORTHWEST DETENTION CENTER Tacoma, Washington
QUEENS PRIVATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Jamaica, New York
REEVES COUNTY DETENTION COMPLEX Pecos, Texas
RIVERS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION Winton, North Carolina
SANDERS ESTES UNIT Venus, Texas
SOUTH BAY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY South Bay, Florida
SOUTH TEXAS DETENTION COMPLEX Pearsall, Texas
SOUTH TEXAS INTERMEDIATE SANCTION FACILITY Houston, Texas
TAFT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION Taft, California
TRI-COUNTY JUSTICE & DETENTION CENTER Ullin, Illinois
VAL VERDE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY & COUNTY JAIL Del Rio, Texas
WESTERN REGION DETENTION FACILITY AT SAN DIEGO San Diego, California
WESTERN REGIONAL OFFICE Carlsbad, California
WORLD HEADQUARTERS Boca Raton, Florida
http://www.thegeogroupinc.com/northamerica...