Report Reveals Private Prison Ties To AZ Law

WASHINGTON  —An investigative report by National Public Radio sheds light on the behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona’s immigration law SB1070 by the private prison industry. Private prison corporations like the Corrections Corporation of America, the Geo Group and Management and Training Corporation have funneled tens of thousands of dollars to the 30 legislative co-sponsors of SB 1070.

Think Progress also highlighted reports that the billion-dollar Corrections Corporation of America — the largest private prison company in the country has directed money to legislators sponsoring Arizona-like immigration bills across the country. Following is a statement by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a non-partisan, non-profit, pro-immigrant advocacy organization in Washington.

“Today’s revelations show that immigrant detention in America is not driven by justice but by the private prison industry looking to make a buck off the imprisonment of nannies and landscapers. Taxpayer money is being used to expand and establish a steady source of income for the prison industrial complex which is clearly benefiting from a broken immigration system that feeds immigrants into the detention system.

The true motives behind the controversial Arizona’s immigration law were not about increasing security or addressing Arizona’s immigration problems, the goal was to enhance the prison industry’s bottom line.

We cannot simply detain and deport our way out of our immigration problem. This report should sound the alarm bells over the urgent need to restore order, integrity and accountability to our immigration system.