No, I'm not going to begin telling you that investing in private prisons is a good idea. Don't worry. Rather, the title is a reference to the investment(s) CCA has made in itself in the form of political contributions. I have, on occasion, mentioned how CCA, the GEO Group, and other private prison operators lobby the federal government and cultivate political relationships through campaign contributions (For more on that, see pretty much every entry I've ever done on here). Those contributions help to ensure these companies continue to secure contracts with state and federal governments to operate correctional facilities.
It turns out the money they invested in these political relationships have really paid off. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which audits government contracts, found that CCA took in more than $800 million in contracts last year. They were able to make all this money despite the fact that they have been cited for numerous safety violations and circumventing labor laws. So you can feel confident knowing that your tax dollars are being funnelled to a corporation that repeatedly violates the terms of its contracts, fails to maintain safe facilities, and doesn't see the need to follow labor regulations. Great.
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