Politics & Government
Arizona Busts Private Prison Company
As the saying goes, it takes a village. And when corporations spend vast resources to gain control of public services, it takes a village of smart, savvy and nimble people and organizations to beat them back. That’s exactly what happened in Arizona this week.
Last Friday, Arizona House Appropriations Chairman John Kavanagh snuck $900,000 into the state budget earmarked for GEO Group, the nation’s second largest private prison company. That amount was above and beyond the $45 million GEO already rakes in from Arizona taxpayers. Interestingly, the Arizona Department of Corrections did not request the increase. According to the Arizona Republic, GEO’s lobbyists worked directly with Kavanagh, who, when asked to justify the earmark, said simply that GEO “wants to get more money.”
Private prison critics quickly sprang into action. The American Friends Service Committee and Human Rights Center helped lead a strong coalition that included the American Civil Liberties Union, Arizona Justice Alliance, NAACP of Maricopa County, Samaritans, the Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona Network and In the Public Interest. After a weekend of action alerts, media appearances and public information requests, the Arizona senate stripped the budget of Kavanagh’s GEO giveaway.
Be sure to read what happened here. It really does take a village.
-
State of InequalityApril 11, 2024
Dispelling the Stereotypes About California’s Low-Wage Workers
-
Latest NewsApril 24, 2024
An Author Reflects on the Effort to Rebuild L.A. After the ‘Violent Spring’ of 1992
-
State of InequalityMarch 28, 2024
Los Angeles Hotel Workers Could Use the 2028 Olympics to Their Advantage
-
Striking BackApril 12, 2024
Organizing the Slopes
-
State of InequalityApril 25, 2024
California Often Leads Change, but Not for Single-Payer Health Care
-
Feet to the FireMarch 29, 2024
New Mexico Governor Vetoes Tax Break for Wells After Pushback
-
The Heat 2024April 15, 2024
Climate + Young Voters = Biden Victory, Right? It’s More Complicated Than That.
-
Striking BackApril 26, 2024
At Occidental College, Upcoming Vote Reflects Rise in Undergraduate Labor Organizing