General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPrivate Prison Group Quits Mississippi, Heads North
Private prison operator GEO Group is backing out of all operations in the state of Mississippi by this July, the Guardian reports. The decision was driven in large part by a class action lawsuit brought against the firm by the Southern Poverty Law Center and ACLU over a youth detention facility run by the group, and a U.S. Department of Justice report condemning that same facility for 8th ammendment violations.
Overall, the DOJ says that their investigation found "systematic, egregious, and dangerous practices exacerbated by a lack of accountability and controls." Amongst other things, it cited excessive use of force as the first course of action to maintain order, sexual misconduct by the staff (who otherwise showed egregious indifference towards inmate safety) and totally inadequate health services. The settlement required that the group improve conditions and employee conduct, though by the beginning of this month, little progress had been made.
The GEO Group is the second largest private prison operator in the world, running 65 prisons in the U.S., as well as facilities in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. Last year, the group reported revenues exceeding $1 billion. They are traded publicly on the NYSE.
http://inthesetimes.com/ittlist/entry/13412/private_prison_group_leaves_mississippi_heads_north/
madashelltoo
(1,698 posts)They don't know anything about imprisonment, rehabilitation or anything other than money grubbing. All they do is turn up the hatred in people who were already damaged. Don't let them migrate like roaches to another house.
russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)It all sounds so familiar.
Aerows
(39,961 posts)Now mind you, I wouldn't advocate going to jail in any state, because you would have to commit crimes, but from what I have heard, you don't want to go to jail in Mississippi.
Okay, who am I kidding? If I didn't have financial ties here, who in the hell would want to live in this miserable state?
lpbk2713
(42,763 posts)Yeah, having to be accountable can be a real PITA. At least that's what all the rethuglicans say.
xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)destroying jobs. Don'tcha know.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)My sister's partner (also female) has worked as a guard at both
public and private prisons. She shudders at the thought of having
to work in private prison again.. and she was a guard not an inmate.
No one should be "in the business" of profiting off of other people's
misery and misfortune like this. Private prisons have NO INCENTIVE
WHATSOEVER, to lessen prison terms, to reduce recidivism, etc.
ON THE CONTRARY, the more prisoners the better, so these these
leeches become richer and more powerful, the more crime the better
for them. This is really a fucked up incentive structure, which is
no doubt (besides racism) that USA has more people imprisoned
than ANY other nation by far.
This sad corrupt situation needs to be called out for what it is. Ban
private prisons by law, the sooner the better.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth