Friday, July 12, 2024

Prof. Jacqueline Stevens on Private Prison Financing

I cannot recommend strongly enough that you read today's op-ed by Professor Jacqueline Stevens (Poli Sci, Northwestern) in The New Tribune: Don’t deter the huddled masses. Deter private prison kleptocrats who profit off them. If you have trouble with the link--here is a .pdf version to download.

A few things I learned from the short piece:

  • In 2021, GEO testified about the "firm’s 16% to 19% net and 37% gross profits from running the Tacoma facility from 2010-17, over twice the return for the lodging industry in this time frame."
  • That profit margin was justified by a 1983 federal regulation called FAR 15-404-4 that requires "purchasers to guarantee firms “motivating” profits."
  • FAR 15-404-4 conflicts with the more well-known Congressional mandate to: “acquire property and services of the requisite quality and within the time needed at the lowest reasonable cost, utilizing competitive procurement methods to the maximum extent practicable.”

The piece also includes updates about the ongoing appeals regarding a jury finding that Tacoma detainees were "employees" entitled to minimum wage (not 1$/hour) as well as challenges to a WA state law regarding private prison conditions.

-KitJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2024/07/prof-jacqueline-stevens-on-private-prison-financing-.html

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