PRIVATE PRISON ADVOCATES FOR PASSAGE OF SB 1070
RUSSELL PEARCE IN BED WITH CORPORATE JAILER
SB 1070, the most vicious anti-immigrant law in the history of the nation, was supported by a private company which makes money by jailing undocumented workers. The conflicts of interest in passing a law which puts people in prison for money is an assault to the freedom of every person.
An Arizona law targeting illegal immigration had its roots in a business venture proposed by prison companies, according to a
report by National Public Radio .
NPR reported they found a "quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona
SB 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private prison industry."
GEO is one of the largest private prison companies in the world. They have facilities in Colorado, Arizona and many other locations. They are constantly seeking approval for new sites. Their record of human rights is abysmal!
"The law could send hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to prison, meaning hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to private prison companies responsible for housing them," according to NPR.
The law was proposed by Arizona state Senator Russell Pierce and passed in April. Governor
Jan Brewer signed it into law. It became law in July, with protests and support.
There were massive protests in Phoenix as a result of the law.
NPR says Pierce made a presentation in Washington, D.C. last December with a "membership organization of state legislators and powerful corporations and associations, such as the tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., Exxon Mobil and the National Rifle Association. Another member is the billion-dollar Corrections Corporation of America — the largest private prison company in the country."
"In the conference room, the group decided they would turn the immigration idea into a model bill. They discussed and debated language. Then, they voted on it," according to NPR.
Meanwhile,
Proposition 200 was declared illegal.
This is the Arizona law which required extra I.D. in order for voters to register.
As the right wing seeks to keep immigrants from voting,
Promise Arizona, a membership organization has been working to register new voters. They registered 13,000 new voters this season alone. Promise Arizona will change the political landscape in Arizona.
The fanatical right is manipulating voter conscience while placing pressure on undocumented workers. The injustice is beyond the pale.
Read and listen to the full NPR report
