Now that some time has passed since Sheriff Nugent of Hernando County, Florida, decided to take over operations of the jail from CCA, it seems appropriate to take a look at the transition process.
Unfortunately, it's looking to be a long and costly process. The jail needs millions of dollars worth of maintenance work to make up for "22 years of neglect" by CCA. The jail has serious problems with rat and roach infestations, as well as plumbing and sprinkler issues. In short, CCA declined to perform any real maintenance on the jail in their 22 years of operating it.
You get what you pay for.
I hate anyone who makes a profit by incarcerating human beings.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Blatant Conflict of Interest
State Senator Joe Negron serves in Florida, which has a part-time legislature with a salary of about $30,000 per year. Which means that the state legislators often have other jobs to support themselves. Joe Negron happens to be an attorney, and a pretty well-established one at that, because one of his clients is the GEO Group. I'm sure there won't be any question as to his impartiality in deciding any matters related to prison privatization....
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Justice?
Mark Ciavarella was just convicted on more than 25 charges, including racketeering, for his involvement in a scheme to send juveniles to a youth detention center for kickbacks from the facility's builder. He is likely to receive a sentence of 12 or more years. While I'm glad to see some measure of justice, I'm not sure if this goes far enough. Ciavarella made more than $2 million by sending undeserving kids into prison, which it doesn't appear that he'll have to pay back.
Friday, February 18, 2011
WHY?
Georgia, which already has the 4th-highest incarcerated population in the country, wants to further privatize its prison system. It's typical republican jargon, mainly focused on how the private sector can provide better services (they can't) for a cheaper price (again, they can't). In fact, the new governor said, "I think we should look at a lot of privatization."
I sometimes feel like for all the progress that's ever made in society, we often take 2 steps back before taking one forward. In this case, and seemingly all concerning private prisons, it seems like republicans are looking to take us backwards.
I sometimes feel like for all the progress that's ever made in society, we often take 2 steps back before taking one forward. In this case, and seemingly all concerning private prisons, it seems like republicans are looking to take us backwards.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
My (Least) Favorite Time of Year
That's right - earnings time! The time of year I'm reminded just how sick people can be, and how much money they can make in the process. First up this time is the GEO Group.
GEO posted a $23.5 million profit in the last quarter of 2010. That comes out to about $8 million in profit every month, or more than $11,000 per hour, or more than $185 EVERY EFFING MINUTE. That's right. GEO turned a profit of nearly $200 every single minute by simply failing to live up to contractual obligations and neglecting the needs of everyone in its "care." Our world is so effed.
GEO posted a $23.5 million profit in the last quarter of 2010. That comes out to about $8 million in profit every month, or more than $11,000 per hour, or more than $185 EVERY EFFING MINUTE. That's right. GEO turned a profit of nearly $200 every single minute by simply failing to live up to contractual obligations and neglecting the needs of everyone in its "care." Our world is so effed.
Why I Hate Mark Ciavarella Today
Ciavarella, the judge who sent thousands of undeserving youth into prison for minor crimes in a scheme that netted him more than $2 million in kickbacks, just recently testified at his trial. In his testimony, he claims the payments were a "finder's fee" for helping steer business to the builder of the juvenile detention center (nevermind the fact that as a judge, he's not supposed to be accepting money other than his salary, period).
His testimony is a study in nuanced language and how legal experts try to manipulate the semantics of laws to get themselves out of hot water. It's basically a lot of hogwash, with Ciavarella trying to justify years of clearly unjustifiable acts.
But what really got me was a paraphrase from his testimony, where he remarked that he was simply "trying to do right by the county's troubled youth."
Eff you you asshole. You knew exactly what you were doing, and to try to hide behind some bogus claim that you did this in the interest of the youth is disingenuous at best. You are a prime example of the corruptibility inherent in profit-driven enterprise. You are a disgusting excuse for a human being. I hate you so much, Mark Ciavarella.
His testimony is a study in nuanced language and how legal experts try to manipulate the semantics of laws to get themselves out of hot water. It's basically a lot of hogwash, with Ciavarella trying to justify years of clearly unjustifiable acts.
But what really got me was a paraphrase from his testimony, where he remarked that he was simply "trying to do right by the county's troubled youth."
Eff you you asshole. You knew exactly what you were doing, and to try to hide behind some bogus claim that you did this in the interest of the youth is disingenuous at best. You are a prime example of the corruptibility inherent in profit-driven enterprise. You are a disgusting excuse for a human being. I hate you so much, Mark Ciavarella.
Logical Fallacies
I guess Ric Scott, the new Governor of Florida, isn't a frequent reader of WhyIHateCCA. Because if he was, he wouldn't make such baseless assertions about his push to privatize more of the state's prison system.
Governor Scott claims he is not motivated to push for privatization by the hundreds of thousands of dollars the GEO Group has donated to him personally and the Republican party. I tend to think that's a pretty blatant lie, but that's beside the point (at least the point of this post).
No, Scott says he is pushing to privatize the system for a few reasons, the most prominent of which is to save money. Well sorry Mr. Scott, but private prisons rarely if ever offer the cost-savings they promise, and have at times been found to be more expensive than government-run prisons.
He also claims his privatization push is motivated by a desire to "do a good job of taking care of our prison system, [watch] how we spend the money, [and make] sure that when people leave prison that they don't come back." But again, Mr. Scott, there is no evidence or logic to back up those lofty goals. Private prisons, to put it simply, suck in comparison to state-run facilites. In every single operational aspect. They are less safe, less secure, and pose more of a threat to both staff and prisoners. Private prisons are far less accountable and transparent to the public, including in terms of how money is spent. And finally, private prisons offer less programming than state-run facilities, and prisoners released from them have higher rates of recidivism.
So all the cost-savings you think your state might realize from further privatization, Mr. Scott, aren't really what they're cracked up to be. Every private prison in this country offers at best a substandard quality of service. By further privatizing the system, you would be making a terrible investment with your state's tax dollars, and you will wind up costing Floridians more in the long run, in terms of the financial responsibilty of dealing with people who don't get adequate rehabilitation services while in prison, and the social costs of having prisoners re-enter society when they're not prepared to be productive citizens. This is a short-sighted potential solution to a major problem, that will have ramifications for years, if not decades, to come.
Governor Scott claims he is not motivated to push for privatization by the hundreds of thousands of dollars the GEO Group has donated to him personally and the Republican party. I tend to think that's a pretty blatant lie, but that's beside the point (at least the point of this post).
No, Scott says he is pushing to privatize the system for a few reasons, the most prominent of which is to save money. Well sorry Mr. Scott, but private prisons rarely if ever offer the cost-savings they promise, and have at times been found to be more expensive than government-run prisons.
He also claims his privatization push is motivated by a desire to "do a good job of taking care of our prison system, [watch] how we spend the money, [and make] sure that when people leave prison that they don't come back." But again, Mr. Scott, there is no evidence or logic to back up those lofty goals. Private prisons, to put it simply, suck in comparison to state-run facilites. In every single operational aspect. They are less safe, less secure, and pose more of a threat to both staff and prisoners. Private prisons are far less accountable and transparent to the public, including in terms of how money is spent. And finally, private prisons offer less programming than state-run facilities, and prisoners released from them have higher rates of recidivism.
So all the cost-savings you think your state might realize from further privatization, Mr. Scott, aren't really what they're cracked up to be. Every private prison in this country offers at best a substandard quality of service. By further privatizing the system, you would be making a terrible investment with your state's tax dollars, and you will wind up costing Floridians more in the long run, in terms of the financial responsibilty of dealing with people who don't get adequate rehabilitation services while in prison, and the social costs of having prisoners re-enter society when they're not prepared to be productive citizens. This is a short-sighted potential solution to a major problem, that will have ramifications for years, if not decades, to come.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
There's a First Time for Everything
I never thought I'd see the day when a Republican legislator takes $5,000 from the GEO Group, uses that money to conduct a public-opinion poll on a proposed private prison, then pushes to block that prison based on negative feedback from the poll. But that's exactly what Ron Angle, council chairman for Northampton County, PA, did.
For as pessimistic as I get about the influence of money in politics, especially in the private prison arena, this was an amazing story to see. Bravo, Mr. Angle, for not caving to corporate influence and protecting the interests of the people you serve. It's almost sad that I feel the need to congratulate a politician for merely doing the right thing, but regardless, I'm very glad he made the right decision.
For as pessimistic as I get about the influence of money in politics, especially in the private prison arena, this was an amazing story to see. Bravo, Mr. Angle, for not caving to corporate influence and protecting the interests of the people you serve. It's almost sad that I feel the need to congratulate a politician for merely doing the right thing, but regardless, I'm very glad he made the right decision.
They Violate The First Amendment
Six Hawaiian prisoners housed in two separate private prisons in Arizona are suing CCA because staff at the facilities have repeatedly denied them the freedom to practice their religion. Staff have "Consistently denied written requests to practice their religion, to establish a sacred place in the prison yard and to have access to a spiritual adviser and sacred items."
It's not like these guys are asking for any special treatment. In fact, they want to simply participate in a ritual that Hawaiian prisoners housed on the island are permitted to. There are no lawsuits, or even complaints, about religious freedom and expression being stifled in Hawaii. Just another reason the governor needs to continue to make good on his pledge to take all Hawaiian prisoners out of private facilities, and return them to the island.
It's not like these guys are asking for any special treatment. In fact, they want to simply participate in a ritual that Hawaiian prisoners housed on the island are permitted to. There are no lawsuits, or even complaints, about religious freedom and expression being stifled in Hawaii. Just another reason the governor needs to continue to make good on his pledge to take all Hawaiian prisoners out of private facilities, and return them to the island.
Ponte Takes the Next Step
Former CCA Warden Joe Ponte has been endorsed by a legislative committee in Maine, part of his confirmation process after being nominated by new Governor Paul LePage. Now, all he needs to be appointed Maine's next secretary of Corrections is approval from the state Senate.
Thankfully though, he'll sell his shares of CCA if confirmed. So I'm sure he won't in any way encourage privatization of the state system....
UPDATE: It's official, the Maine Senate has confirmed former CCA warden Joe Ponte to be Maine's next Commissioner of Corrections. Effing awesome.
Thankfully though, he'll sell his shares of CCA if confirmed. So I'm sure he won't in any way encourage privatization of the state system....
UPDATE: It's official, the Maine Senate has confirmed former CCA warden Joe Ponte to be Maine's next Commissioner of Corrections. Effing awesome.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Damnit, Arizona!
I just don't get it sometimes. Following a multiple-prisoner escape from a private prison in Arizona last year that left an elderly couple dead and sparked a multi-state manhunt, 10 separate bills were introduced in the Arizona legislature that would increase oversight of these notoriously poorly-run facilities.
Not a single effing one of them even got a hearing. NOT EVEN A FUCKING HEARING. They were blocked by, of course, a Republican who thinks they were "unnecessary." How can elected representatives continue to turn a blind eye to the atrocities and failures of the private prison industry? And what makes this situation even worse is that the state is still requesting proposals for more private prison beds.
Since when is it sane to ignore a problem, wait until something major happens, then encourage more of the same?
I hate private prisons, and the stupid goddamn legislators who keep them in business.
Not a single effing one of them even got a hearing. NOT EVEN A FUCKING HEARING. They were blocked by, of course, a Republican who thinks they were "unnecessary." How can elected representatives continue to turn a blind eye to the atrocities and failures of the private prison industry? And what makes this situation even worse is that the state is still requesting proposals for more private prison beds.
Since when is it sane to ignore a problem, wait until something major happens, then encourage more of the same?
I hate private prisons, and the stupid goddamn legislators who keep them in business.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Story that Just Keeps Getting Worse
The builder of the two private juvenile centers Judge Ciavarella was sending kids to without justification in Luzerne County, PA just testified that he didn't think the money he paid to Ciavarella was a kickback or bribe. No, according to Mr. Mericle, it was a "finder's fee" for Ciavarella steering him to a developer that got the project off the ground.
I'm not going to put much faith in Mr. Mericle's testimony, however, considering he lied to federal investigators and then a grand jury about the payments and his relationship with Ciavarella. He has had a long history with Ciavarella, which apparently has included him giving the judge $5,000 in cash every Christmas. Yeah, I'm certain that the guy who lied to a federal grand jury and gives out $5,000 in cash every year to his "friend" is a reputable and trustworthy witness.
When can we just throw this scumbag behind bars?
I'm not going to put much faith in Mr. Mericle's testimony, however, considering he lied to federal investigators and then a grand jury about the payments and his relationship with Ciavarella. He has had a long history with Ciavarella, which apparently has included him giving the judge $5,000 in cash every Christmas. Yeah, I'm certain that the guy who lied to a federal grand jury and gives out $5,000 in cash every year to his "friend" is a reputable and trustworthy witness.
When can we just throw this scumbag behind bars?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)