CCA to close private prison in Burlington, CO

The office of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper confirmed that the Kit Carson prison will close at the end of July. The prison was running at a loss, and Corrections Corporatioin of America (CCA)  had requested $3 million in bailout funds for the next fiscal year. The governor's office had initially agreed and approved next year's budget to include the funds. (See previous blog post, End bailout for prison Colorado doesn't need.) However, CCA also requested an increase in the daily rate per inmate and to a guarantee of a minimum number of inmates.  The governor's office ultimately declined to renew the contract. The prison has a capacity of 1,400 inmates and is currently housing only 400.

What you can do

Write to governor Hickenlooper thanking him for closing the prison. 
Request closure of all for-profit prisons.

The loss of 142 jobs will hit the community hard. CCA will transfer some workers to other prisons, and will help other workers find new jobs.  In a statement, Governor Hickenlooper said, "We are committed to assisting the community with the impact of this closure and identifying ways to replace lost economic activity." (Denver Post, June 30, 2016)

The 400 inmates will be transferred to CCA's other two prisons in Colorado. CCA has a reputation with inmates of running the least desirable prisons in which to be housed. Informal comments heard by this blogger include complaints about ill-trained staff, bad food, incomplete attention paid to medical needs, and staff mistreating inmates.  Research by nonprofit watchdog groups include    Reports of lawsuits and prisoner abuse. 

It is well past time to end the practice of private prisons run for profit. It is a business model that requires prison population to remain high, and actively works against prison reform. Please speak out on this important issue. 

Related links

The Denver Post Kit Carson prison in Burlington to close;142 jobs lost

Grassroots Ledership. The Dirty Thirty: Nothing to celebrate about 30 years of Corrections Corporation of America.  (2013) http://grassrootsleadership.org/cca-dirty-30

Life without parole for juveniles wastes lives

The Colorado legislature is considering minors who murder and whether they should have the opportunity for parole. This author applauds the legislature's vote on April 21, 2016, which brings Colorado one step closer to the decision of the U. S. Supreme Court that automatic life without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional. Life without parole is inappropriate for juvenile offenders. It damages the individual, it feeds the base craving for vengeance, and does not address the underlying need within society.

What you can do
Write to the Colorado State Judiciary Committee
Write to your Senator

It is natural that people feel angry when anyone commits a serious crime. It is a healthy part of how we know the acceptable way to behave in society. It is how we respond that reflects our maturity. "Throw the book at them" is a gut-level response that does not take into consideration the complexities of being human. We can elect to stop and think about the roots of the issue, study effective responses, and choose based upon those considerations. Then we display that we are Homo Sapiens.

Children who offend are in a delicate position. Their brains are not fully formed. They do not have the judgment to understand what they are doing and the concequences. It is in the best interests of society that all young people learn acceptable behavior.  However, it is rare that the corrections industry actually corrects the offending behavior. Rather, it reinforces a "them" versus "us" mindset, and teaches inmates better ways to get along in the criminal world rather than how to be better citizens.

We see that higher income households have lower incidence of crime, especially against women. We know that better education leads to raised income levels. But high spending on prisons in Colorado places Colorado at the bottom of states for spending on education. Therefore we are undercutting an important mechanism for reducing prison populations

Let's change our budget priorities.  Let's spend money on education and nutrition for young people. Let's create ways to help young people when they show signs of mental health or substance abuse. If we find it necessary to segregate individuals because of behavior, let's focus on treatment rather than punishment.

In the case of the 48 juvenile offenders up for review, let's allow parole, and create a program to help them understand the acceptable ways to deal with conflict and stress in society. Let's become a model of how to help our people rather than following the ancient punitive path. It goes against our gut feelings, but it was gut feelings that got us into this situation.  Albert Einstein noted that "We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them." Therefore, let's take a higher view to solve this problem.

Related links
Prison spending compromises our children's futures Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition
Colorado bill for reviews of 48 juveniles sentenced to life passes first round The Denver Post 4/21/2016
Supreme Court says states may not impose mandatory life sentences on juvenile murders The Washington Post 6/25/2012

End bailout for a prison Colorado doesn't need

On Friday April 15, 2016 the Colorado congress passed a budget that included $3m subsidy to Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) to shore up a failing for-profit prison in Colorado. The subsidy should not be allowed. The funds should be used for local development.

Colorado's prison population has been declining since  2009, so prisons should be closed, not subsidized. Let's close the CCA Kit Carson Correctional Facility in Burlington and relocate the inmates.  Let's spend the $3m subsidy to retrain the employees for new jobs and help them find other work, or start their own businesses. 

What you can do
Write to Governor Hickenlooper and tell him that this bailout is not OK

This is the second bailout for CCA for the same prison. It is bad business to use public funds to shore up a failed private venture. Especially when the venture already has a lucrative contract with the state.  The company is already being paid to house the inmates, now it is being paid twice to house them. Prisons for profit is a business model which is arguably unethical, and it is a model which the prisoner experience proclaims to be inhumane.

In addition to ending the bailout, let’s cease to support for-profit prisons. The business model is designed to increase the number of incarcerated and has nothing to do with corrections. It is a mockery of capitalism to subsidize, and it is in defiance of humanitarian ideals that the business model exists at all.

Related links in The Denver Post
Colorado budget talks stumble after $3m request for rural prison 4/13/16
Colorado budget deal wins final nod after fight on private prison 4/15/16
Letter to the Editor published 4/17/16