Tag Archives: Private prison

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Not on my campus


Change.org
                          A horribly abusive private prison company wants to put its name on a stadium on my college campus — Florida Atlantic University. I don’t think my school should help a notorious company whitewash its name.                       
      Sign Gonzalo’s Petition

Gonzalo Vizcardo via Change.org

The private prison company the GEO Group has been found to run some of the most disgusting prisons in America. One judge called a GEO prison a “cesspool of unconstitutional and inhuman acts and conditions” — places where children were placed in solitary confinement, guards sexually assaulted inmates, and prisoners regularly attempted suicide.

The GEO Group makes $1 billion a year running private prisons like these — and now they want to spend some of that money to put their name on a stadium on my college campus, Florida Atlantic University.

This is not okay with me. I’m a student at FAU, and I will not see my university help a notorious prison corporation whitewash its name on the side of the tallest and most prominent building on my campus, which can be seen from the highly-trafficked I-95 highway and from the many office buildings and residential neighborhoods near my university.

I started a petition on Change.org calling on FAU’s President and Board of Trustees to reverse their deal with the GEO Group to license naming rights for a stadium on campus — will you click here to sign?

Private prisons are hugely problematic, because they run prisons based on profits, not what’s best for prisoners or for society. For example, an NPR investigation in 2011 found that GEO Group prisons have far fewer guards than government-run prisons. Prisoners have even died waiting for medical attention.

In fact, the GEO Group’s prisons are so bad that the state of Mississippi kicked them out of the state entirely, as did Australia in 2003. I don’t want their name on my university’s stadium if an entire state and country kicked them out.

Students and professors on campus are angry — we’ve staged protests at the university president’s office, and she’s even agreed to meet with us this Friday. I know that if enough people sign my petition, she and the Board of Trustees will see that giving the GEO Group good PR isn’t worth all the bad PR they’ll get for making this deal.

Click here to sign my petition calling on FAU’s President and Board of Trustees to reverse their deal with the GEO Group to put their name on the side of a stadium on campus.

Thank you,

Gonzalo Vizcardo Lake Worth, Florida
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Occupying A Private Prison … “Axel Caballero from Cuéntame”


 

Correction Corporation of America’s Stewart facility in Lumpkin, Georgia is the largest private detention center in the nation. Stewart currently profits close to $50 million a year. As if that weren’t enough, CCA often cuts costs by denying basic services to detained immigrants and by limiting access to their family members.

CCA charges inmates close to $5 a minute to make a phone call. To pay for this, inmates work in the facility and earn a whopping $1 a day. Five days of hard work gives them just enough time for a one minute phone call.

Watch the video and take action to shut down Stewart Detention Center.CCA’s greed knows no boundaries. In the past few years they have spent $14.8 million lobbying for anti-immigration laws, like HB87 in Georgia, to ensure they have continuous access to fresh inmates and keep their money racket going. It’s time to put an end to it.

This is why on November 18th, Brave New Foundation‘s Cuéntame is partnering with a coalition of immigrant and civil rights organizations, in a powerful vigil and occupation outside the Stewart facility in Georgia. The demand: Shut down Stewart Detention Center now.

You can join-in too online! Add your demand message and we will read and deliver it at the action event!

Your voice is the most important tool we need to fight back against the private prison greed and abuse.

Yours,
Axel Caballero and the Cuéntame team.

I invite you to join Cuéntame on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

IN CASE YOU MISSED OUR OTHER IMMIGRANTS FOR SALE VIDEOS:

         
A Family Split ApartPedro Guzmanspent 19 months at CCA’s Stewart private detention because he missed an immigration order.Authorities showed no mercy after Guzman explained the court order was sent to an old address.CCA profited approximately $72,000 from Pedro’s detention.Guzman’s wife Emily and only son Logan endured a painful and debilitating struggle to survive while they fought for Pedro’s release.   Death For ProfitRoberto Martinez-Medina died in CCA’s Stewart Detention Center in Georgia in 2009.Medina had been arrested a month earlier for not having a driver’s license.CCA profited off of Medina’s incarceration, and ensured a greater profit by denying him critical health care.CCA has gone to great lengths to hush Medina’s death.   Immigrants For Sale Animated TrailerTop 3 things YOU need to know about the private prison money scheme:1) The victims: Private prisons don’t care about who they lock up. At $200 per immigrant a night, this is the “perfect” money scheme.2) The players: CCA, Geo Group and MTC— combined currently profit more than $5 billion a year.3)The money: These corporations spend $20 million a year lobbying legislators to get anti-immigrant laws approved and thus more inmates.
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Lost, Abused And Neglected For A Profit …”Axel Caballero from Cuéntame”

Guillermo Gomez-Sanchez is a 50 year old legal resident with a mental disability. In 2004 Gomez was detained because of a dispute at a grocery store over a bag of tomatoes.

Guillermo spent two years at a private CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) detention facility – the corporation neglected to report his medical condition.

Watch our video and take a stand with Cuéntame’s Immigrant For Sale documentary campaign today.

CCA profited close to $90,000 off of Gomez’ incarceration, and ensured greater profit by failing to disclose his mental disability effectively leaving Guillermo trapped for 2 years. In 2010 CCA CEO Damon T. Hininger received $3,266,387 in total compensation.

It’s time to put an end to the private prison racket. How many more are suffering lost in a system that values profit over justice? Join the discussion on Facebook today!

Yours,
Axel Caballero and the Cuéntame team.

I invite you to join Cuéntame on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

 
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Immigrants For Sale … BraVenew Foundation


Enough is Enough.

Georgia is now the latest state to pass an anti-immigrant bill like Arizona SB1070, with Governor Nathan Deal expected to sign anytime soon. Georgia is also home to the largest private prison in the country. Like Georgia, other states with similar bills have fallen prey to the greedy hands of private prison corporations. Our immigrant communities are for sale in this country. They are being sold to private prison corporations who are locking them up for obscene profits. It is not only a very lucrative business but one that is putting our Latino community at risk.

WATCH the Video

Immigrants For Sale

http://act.bravenewfilms.org/go/653?akid=1618.1058794.jenNaS&t=3

Here are 3 facts you need know and share with friends and family about the Private Prison money scheme:

The victims: Private prisons don’t care about who they lock up. At a rate of $200 per immigrant a night at their prisons, this is a money making scheme that destroys families and lives.

The players: CCA (Corrections Corporation of America), The Geo Group and Management and Training corporations—combined these private prisons currently profit more than $5 billion a year.

The money: These private prisons have spent over $20 million lobbying state legislators to make sure they get state anti-immigrant laws approved and ensure access to more immigrant inmates.

How is all this possible? They profit from locking people up.

Will you stand with Cuéntame’s “Immigrants For Sale” campaign and become part of a nationwide network of Prison Watchers as we follow and expose the players, the money and the victims in this corrupt money making racket? YES, I WANT TO!

Yours,

Axel Caballero, Ofelia Yañez

and the rest of the Cuéntame team