In two years, the legislature went from denial to doing something
about the unsupportable costs of Georgia’s prison system.
The Georgia prison population is already plumetting, and will drop more.
This makes a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia an even worse business deal.
If it ever opens, it probably will close.
As Georgia lawmakers desperately search for ways to slash spending,
they are not debating an option taken by other states: cutting the
prison population.
Georgia operates the fifth-largest prison system in the nation, at a
cost of $1 billion a year. The job of overseeing 60,000 inmates and
150,000 felons on probation consumes 1 of every 17 state dollars.
The state’s prison population has jumped by more than a quarter in
the past decade and officials expect the number of state inmates to
continue to creep upward. Georgia has resorted to measures other
than reducing the prison population to keep corrections spending
under control.
Monticello and Jefferson County, Florida, have become
dependent on a prison that opened in 1990.
Why?
According to
Rick Stone of WUSF 1 Feb 2012,
Late in the 80s, with crime rising and prisons filling up, Florida
needed new prison sites but few counties wanted to be one. Jefferson
because of the state’s declining inmate population.
County, just east of Tallahassee, was different. Then, as now,
underpopulated and desperately poor, it saw an opportunity and it
did something unusual.
“We welcomed them with open arms,” said Kirk Reams,
Jefferson County’s court clerk and chief financial officer.
That’s not our situation.
Crime is as low as it has been since the 1960s,
prison populations have peaked,
and we do have other sources of employment.
Or are we really that desperate?
Jefferson County thinks it has lucked out again, but only at the expense
of Florida taxpayers, and against the prison population trend.
Georgia Energy Trust Fund —Dr. Sidney Smith 2012 02 17
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
We donate 1.5% of the money we make to this trust fund for the county….
Now we invest that money in Georgia bonds for the county.
And then the county only gets half of the interest
So the funds we donate for these counties will
grow forever
as a result of what we’re doing with the trust fund…
It’s invested in us, roads, airplanes, deep water, stuff like that.
CCA is the leading participant in, and in many ways the embodiment
of, one of the most controversial industries ever created—the
incarceration of people for profit. While the company is looking
back through rose-colored glasses, there is a need for a critical
analysis of what CCA has brought to the world of corrections. That
is the purpose of this report.
Even by its own standards, CCA has not been a success. Rather than
taking the industry by storm, it still manages only about three
percent of prison and jail beds in the United States, and its global
aspirations had to be abandoned.
Only a few years ago, CCA was being widely vilified
Just a quick recap of a meeting I had yesterday with VLCIA’s Andrea
Schruijer. When asked where we were with the private prison issue, she
responded, “we contractually agreed to a 3rd extension with a term of
365 and CCA has until March 13, 2012 to request that extension.” So I
asked,” if CCA doesn’t request a
3rd extension, then the issue is over,
right?” She replied, “If there’s no response from CCA, then it is up to
the board to determine how to move forward.” When I asked her why they
would even consider honoring a contract extension to CCA knowing some
of the controversy over CCA’s business practices, she replied, “because
there is a partnership between the VLCIA and CCA and we are
contractually bound to a 3rd extension.”
I pointed out that the private prison industry wasn’t interested in
public safety and rehabilitation they simply wanted to make a quick
buck off the lives of others. I informed her of the chronic employee
turnover, understaffing, high rates of violence and extreme cost
cutting which all have been attributed to CCA.
I told her that Lowndes County already had its own share of air
pollution and that amount of air pollution here is directly
proportionate to the amount of lung and bronchial caner in our area. I
encouraged her to consider sustainable businesses for the future
economic growth of our community, not smoke stack business. Her reply,
“so what you are saying is that you think the industrial should just
close its doors?” I actually hadn’t thought about that but the
question did make me ponder.
I left her with
a 91 page research report which takes a critical look
at the first twenty years of CCA’s operations. I requested an email
response of her thoughts about the report and am currently awaiting the
response…
Biomass did come up in the conversation and Mrs. Schruijer was quick to
assert that
Actor Ossie Davis delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Malcolm X
on Feb. 27, 1965. It was a strong statement of support for the life
of a man whom controversy followed until his assassination at the
age of 39. So why did Davis potentially risk his career to pay
tribute to Malcolm X? A letter, written by Davis, explains his
decision. The letter will be on public display this weekend.
Davis’ letter will join dozens of other historic artifacts for a
special Black History Month observation, sponsored by the 100 Black
Men of Valdosta Inc. The Sixth Annual African-American Artifacts
exhibit will be on display noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb.
25 and 26.
Kind of weird phrasing there, Ms. Editor, given that Ossie Davis’ tribute
was after Malcolm X was assassinated….
Valdosta City Council and Mayor, who may not have been following the private prison issue,
now know about it and are aware that they are all implicated in the private prison
decision, due to events at the Industrial Authority board meeting
and the Valdosta City Council meeting, both Thursday 23 February 2012.
After remarking that I’d rather be talking about the additional solar panels
recently installed on my farm workshop up here in the north end of the county,
I recapped the
case against a private prison
and referred the Valdosta City Council to
my LTE in the VDT of that morning
(Thursday 23 February 2012).
I remarked that I was disappointed the Industrial Authority
hadn’t done anything to stop the prison at its meeting earlier that same day.
Since they might be wondering what all this had to do with them, I pointed out that,
if I could use the word,
they were all implicated as mayor and council
in the private prison decision because
Jay Hollis, CCA’s Manager of Site Acquisition, in his Valdosta-Lowndes County, GA / CCA Partnership: Prepared Remarks of August 2010,
lavishly praised the Lowndes County Commission and Chairman and the
Valdosta City Council and mayor.
Although the mayor was different now, and maybe some of the council,
nonetheless it was the same offices of council and mayor, still implicated.
I asked for their opinions on that subject.
Per their custom, they did not offer any at that time.
So, maybe we’ll hear from them later.
Or maybe the Industrial Authority board will hear from them….
Valdosta Mayor and Council are implicated in the private prison —John S. Quarterman @ VCC 2012 02 23
VSEB, employment,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 February 2012.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.
Hundreds of protesters from across Georgia descend on Quitman in
Brooks County.
They gathered at area restaurants like the Wiregrass Restaurant &
Bar Friday night. They’re gearing up for a weekend long rally
against what they call voter intimidation.
The “Quitman 12” is the focus of the march Saturday at the Quitman
court house. The 12 include three Brooks County School Board
members, along with nine other defendants who were indicted for
charges of voter fraud.
WCTV quoted George Rhynes, and also:
Latoya Hamilton is a Quitman resident and also a Protester.
“To me, being a small city like this, it’s the first time something
like this is being held in Quitman. It’s an honor being a part of
this. It’s pretty much history in the making,” Hamilton tells
Gullberg.
Appearances are expected by Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, Rep. Tyrone
Brooks and many more. Events start Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. The
march starts at 3:00 p.m.
I agree with her and with George, that it’s a historic event.
The Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials (GABEO) is holding
its general meeting in Quitman this weekend in support of the Quitman 10.
The big public event is this afternoon:
3:00 p.m. March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression (March from Shumate Street Church of Christ to Brooks County Courthouse)
In this video, George Rhynes interviews Rev. Floyd Rose about
how GABEO heard about the Quitman 10+2.
Rev. Rose also expresses hope that the local media will announce the GABEO meeting.
(The VDT did have a story on it the other day, although it doesn’t seem to be online.)
Amont many other points, he notes that the school board members of the
Quitman 10 were elected mostly by white voters in Brooks County.
3PM today in Quitman: GABEO March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression
March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression,
Meeting in Quitman to support the Quitman 10+2, Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials (GABEO),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 February 2012.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.
Desperation or disaster capitalism by CCA?
Trying to get as entrenched as possible before more people catch
on that private prisons
don’t save money for states?
In exchange for keeping at least a 90 percent occupancy rate, the
private prison company Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) has
sent a letter to 48 states offering to manage their prisons for the
low price of $250 million per year, according to a letter obtained
by the Huffington Post.
The company says it’s a way for states to help manage their current
budget crisis. “We believe this comes at a timely and helpful
juncture and hope you will share our belief in the benefits of the
purchase-and-manage model,” CCA chief corrections officer
Harley Lappin said in the letter.
…a 20-year management contract, plus an assurance that the prison
would remain at least 90 percent full….
So if a state,
such as Georgia,
was thinking of sentencing reform,
or of getting on with decriminalizing drugs,
either would become quite difficult after signing such contracts.
As Georgia lawmakers desperately search for ways to slash spending, they are not debating an option taken by other states: cutting the prison population.
cost of $1 billion a year. The job of overseeing 60,000 inmates and 150,000 felons on probation consumes 1 of every 17 state dollars.
its general meeting in Quitman this weekend in support of the Quitman 10.
The big public event is this afternoon:
