With the California Dream Act and the California Prosperity and Opportunity Act, California seems to be at the forefront of immigrant rights. (Flickr: inyhack) via Huffington Post ### This is a teen-written article from our friends at L.A. Youth, a nonprofit organization that helps teens advocate for themselves through journalism, literacy and civic engagement. We’re running [...]

In any light that you put it, the proposed Southwest Ranches detention facility is a disaster. The Broward Sierra Club brings to the light the environmental degradation the project would reap. (Flickr: Friends of Shannon Harps) via The Florida Indipendent ### The Broward Group of the Sierra Club today announced its opposition to the federal immigration [...]

Since the release of our story on the Bill Clayton Detention Facility the situation in the town of Littlefield hasn’t improved. The facility was auctioned, but the sale fell through and so Littlefield is right back at square one. The nightmare the Geo Group brought to town won’t end. via burntorangereport.com ### What happens if [...]

A lot of people today complain about cutting the deficit at all expenses. But it seems to me that the deficit could be dramatically cut, or even eliminated if those same folks reconsidered a few things  - *cough* war, imprisonment *cough* photo via agrilifetoday Article Via Huffington Post By Verna Gates ### BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Feb 1 [...]

Today, the Private Corrections Institute, a Florida-based non-profit watchdog organization that opposes the privatization of correctional services, sharply condemned a pair of bills recently introduced in the state Senate, SPB 7172 and SPB 7170, saying they would result in a giveaway to for-profit prison companies at the expense of Florida taxpayers. Via Privateci.org PRESS RELEASE [...]

The for-profit prison industry has not only a strong physical presence in Florida but also a significant amount of political power. The National Institute on Money has released records that show that donors from the private prison industry made nearly $1 million in contributions to Florida campaigns in 2010—the most the industry has given over [...]

If more Americans knew that the cost of detaining immigrants who are awaiting their fates in the broken immigration detention system cost taxpayers roughly 2 million dollars per day, the immigration debate might be viewed in a different context. Via Huffington Post WASHINGTON — On a single day this past fall, the United States government [...]

Arizona Representative Steve Farley (D-Tucson) has announced that he will introduce a bill, the “ALEC Accountability Act of 2012,” aimed to make the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) more transparent. As many of you know, ALEC is a mastermind organization that works to advance legislation authored by corporate interests at the state level. Thanks to [...]

The fact that the United Methodist Church divested from for-profit prisons (CCA and GEO) after realizing that they owned nearly one million dollars in stock in both companies, demonstrates that grassroots efforts to expose the abuses of these corporations is an integral way of creating consciousness in the general public and the first step to [...]

Don Hutto Residential Center may reopen–for those of you who aren’t familiar, this center was shut down for its horrific human rights abuses. Is this how the government rewards failing for-profit prisons? Go figure. Via KUT Undocumented families waiting for their immigration status to be determined could soon be held in detention centers in Texas. [...]