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Private prison companies making big bucks on locking up undocumented immigrantsÂ
The nation's largest prison companies have spent tens of millions of dollars lobbying lawmakers and contributing to campaigns.
By
The Associated Press
MIAMI — The U.S. is locking up more illegal immigrants than ever,
generating lucrative profits for the nation’s largest prison companies,
and an Associated Press review shows the businesses have spent tens of
millions of dollars lobbying lawmakers and contributing to campaigns.
The cost to American taxpayers is on track to top $2 billion for this
year, and the companies are expecting their biggest cut of that yet in
the next few years thanks to government plans for new facilities to
house the 400,000 immigrants detained annually.
After a decade of expansion, the sprawling, private system runs
detention centers everywhere from a Denver suburb to an industrial area
flanking Newark’s airport, and is largely controlled by just three
companies.
The growth is far from over, despite the sheer drop in illegal immigration in recent years.
"More recently, a 2007 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (most recent published) examined 29 reports on state and local costs published over 15 years in
an attempt to answer this question. CBO concluded that most of the
estimates determined that illegal immigrants impose a net cost to state
and local governments but "that impact is most likely modest." CBO said
"no agreement exists as to the size of, or even the best way of
measuring, that cost on a national level."
It would appear that we are spending as much, if not more to detain/imprison illegal immigrants, and imprisioned, they do not pay taxes or spend money which stimulates our economy.
I think we have gone daffy!
FYI: Used two different sources and lost control of the text formatting.
posted on Aug 5, 2012 12:35 PM ()
Interesting info, albeit disgusting.
comment by solitaire on Aug 8, 2012 1:24 PM ()
Very. I'd say there is a bit more than just patriotism fueling that anti-immigrant outcry!
If private prisons are run like private schools, then there is minimal oversight.
I know that Oklahoma uses private prisons. I hate to think they are not
under close supervision. As for illegal immigrants, it is such a puzzle and I
do not know the answer. Our prisons are so overcrowded that they can't
accomodate all the criminals much less illegal aliens unless they have
killed or robbed someone. I admire Mexicans because of their work ethic.
I wish there was a way to assimilate them into our culture and see that
their children get a chance at a college education.
under close supervision. As for illegal immigrants, it is such a puzzle and I
do not know the answer. Our prisons are so overcrowded that they can't
accomodate all the criminals much less illegal aliens unless they have
killed or robbed someone. I admire Mexicans because of their work ethic.
I wish there was a way to assimilate them into our culture and see that
their children get a chance at a college education.
I wonder if one or all of these companies is owned by Halliburton.
comment by troutbend on Aug 5, 2012 3:36 PM ()
Good question- Halliburton has to be shifting its business somewhere besides the oil industry. I read it costs the US $800,000 a YEAR to keep EACH American soldier in Afghanistan. No, I did not get that wrong- Google the question. A ton of that money goes to Halliburton. They do everything from building construction to food and water delivery, information services, well, they pretty much handle all of the logistics. In many areas, counties have built jails to cash in on the financial rewards of detaining immigrants. It means many new jobs; i.e., guards, cooks, maintenance, etc.--not career field I would be proud to say my grandsons pursued. 
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