Private prisons get slammed ahead of Democratic debates

[DonViejo]

BY RACHEL LAYNE

UPDATED ON: JUNE 27, 2019 / 9:12 AM / MONEYWATCH

Nearly 10% of U.S. prisons are run by private companies.

Elizabeth Warren is the latest Democratic presidential candidate to come out against federal use of private prisons.

Geo Group and CoreCivic are the two biggest private prison companies and have pushed back against attacks on them.

Since Mr. Trump took office, ICE has awarded more than $480 million to GEO Group and more than $331 million to CoreCivic.

Massachusetts Sen. and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren this month proposed eliminating federal use of private prison companies. She's not alone: Democratic competitors including Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Beto O'Rourke also have previously proposed measures restricting private operation of public prisons.

Wall Street analysts don't expect the issue to fade. "We expect that the majority of other contenders will buy into her policy, and that ending private prisons could become a key Democratic position in the 2020 race," wrote Height Securities analysts Hunter Hammond and Clayton Allen in a note this week.

Pressure is growing in the private sector, too. Bank of America today became the latest to say it's divesting itself from private prison and immigration center companies following a similar move by JP Morgan earlier this year.

more
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/private-prisons-get-slammed-ahead-of-democratic-debates/

[blaze]

1. Can someone help me follow the money on this one?

I know that must be the driving force... just not seeing it.