Commentary on the Detention Industry

“This Alien Life: Privatized Prisons for Immigrants” by Deepa Fernandes on CorpWatch discusses the growth of the private detention industry in the United States.  In particular, the article looks at the pervasive impact of the detention industry in the small town of Florence, Arizona.  In the wake of the September 11th attacks, the U.S. government invoked national security to sweep up and jail an unprecedented number of immigrants. Companies like Corrections Corporation of America and Wackenhut, have reaped the benefits.  However, the private detention industry was growing by leaps and bounds before 9/11.  The 1996 immigration reforms resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants sujject to detention.

Click here for the article.

KJ