U.S. Private Prison Population Grew 37 Percent Between 2002-2009 As Industry Lobbying Dollars Grew 1

[Donnachaidh]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/09/26/328486/us-private-prison-population-lobbying/


Today, the Michigan Messenger reports about how the private prisons behemoth Corrections Corporations of America grew over the last decade, expanding both its prisoner population and its political clout. The Messenger cites data from the U.S. Department of Justice showing that the private prison population grew from 87,369 to 129,336 from 2000 to 2009:



Then, citing figures from the Justice Policy Institute, the Messenger notes that lobbying dollars from the major private prison operators grew from $840,885 to $1,391,056 from 2002 to 2009:



This means that as industry lobbying dollars increased 165 percent between 2002 and 2009, the U.S. private prison population grew 37 percent. As ThinkProgress has previously reported, the private prisons haven’t just expanded their political influence by expending lobbying dollars. They’ve also been remarkably apt at placing friendly lawyers and lobbyists in the offices of major decision-makers like Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ), who last year signed a harsh anti-immigrant law that many expect to increase prison populations.

[mod mom]

1. & it's all about cronies make BIG bucks, case in point:

Ohio becomes first state to sell state prison to private company:

COLUMBUS— A lockup along the shores of Lake Erie has become the first state prison in the nation to be sold to a private company.

Lake Erie Correctional Institution in northeastern Ohio’s Ashtabula County is the only one of five state prisons up for sale that will be sold, state officials said Thursday. Corrections Corporation of America will buy it for $72.7 million, more than the $50 million needed from the privatization effort to balance the state’s prison budget.
-snip
http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2011/09/01/Ohio-private-vendors-to-buy-run-state-prisons.html

NOTE WHO KASICH CHOSE TO HEAD THE OHIO DEPT OF REHABILITATION & CORRECTIONS:



Kasich announced Gary Mohr as his pick to head the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

-snip

Mohr is a managing director at the Corrections Corporation of America, which designs, builds, manages and operates federal, state and local prisons across the country.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/jan/04/kasich-picks-new-ohio-prison-chief/




No wonder Kasich is so gungho on selling off prisons: $.23 per hour! Are these the jobs Kasich is planning for Ohio?



U.S. Prisoners Build Missile Parts for Raytheon and Lockheed to Sell Abroad
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Inmates in American prisons have come a long way from the days of making license plates. Nowadays, prisoners are helping build missiles and other sophisticated weapons, and providing dirt-cheap labor in the process.

While earning as little as 23 cents an hour—and no more than $1.15—inmates assemble electronic components for the Patriot missile, which has been used by the U.S. military and sold to allies like Israel, Egypt, Kuwait and Taiwan . The use of prisoners employed by Unicor, a government-owned corporation formerly known as the Federal Prison Industries, saves the makers of the Patriot, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, a lot of money on labor costs.

Unicor inmates also have contributed work to the building of the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15 fighter, the General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16, Bell/Textron’s Cobra helicopter and BAE Systems’ Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Prisoners used to make helmets for the military, until 44,000 of them had to be recalled for shoddy quality.

Although Unicor is pitched as a job training program for prisoners, it has some observers worried. William Hartung, author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex, told Justin Rohrlich of Minyanville, “It’s really on the cutting-edge of questionable practices. The fact that it does an end-run around organized labor is a problem. There’s no greater restriction on a worker’s rights than being stuck in prison.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/US_Prisoners_Build_Missile_Parts_for_Raytheon_and_Lockheed_to_Sell_Abroad_110310





Prisoners Help Build Patriot Missiles
By Noah Shachtman March 8, 2011 | 12:24 pm |
This spring, the United Arab Emirates is expected to close a deal for $7 billion dollars’ worth of American arms. Nearly half of the cash will be spent on Patriot missiles, which cost as much as $5.9 million apiece.

But what makes those eye-popping sums even more shocking is that some of the workers manufacturing parts for those Patriot missiles are prisoners, earning as little as 23 cents an hour. (CreditJustin Rohrlich with the catch.)

The work is done by Unicor, previously known as Federal Prison Industries. It’s a government-owned corporation, established during the Depression, that employs about 20,000 inmates in 70 prisons to make everything from clothing to office furniture to solar panels to military electronics.

-snip
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/03/prisoners-help-build-patriot-missiles/

[Tippy]

2. People better start paying attention to ....

Corrections Corporations of America, or one day we will have one of their prisons in every county....

[valerief]

3. Who is employing the slave labor? nt

[mod mom]

4. see my links about for detail but the defense contractors.

[valerief]

6. Thanks!

[mod mom]

5. I believe this should be of major importance to DUers as how much you want to bet

political judges will sent those arrested as "troublemakers" to these. Think about what is happening in NYC.