1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

The use of private, for-profit prisons for immigration detention and incarceration raises serious ethical and human rights concerns. These facilities prioritize profits over the well-being of detainees, often leading to poor conditions, lack of adequate medical care, and violations of due process rights. Moreover, the private prison industry has a vested financial interest in policies that increase detention and incarceration rates, creating a perverse incentive system that undermines justice and fairness. The recent article highlights how major private prison companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group stand to profit immensely from proposed mass deportations, with CoreCivic anticipating increased need for detention capacity and actively preparing to meet this demand. This exemplifies the troubling conflict of interest inherent in the for-profit prison model. These companies benefit financially from draconian immigration policies and over-incarceration, undermining their ability to operate ethically and humanely. We should move away from the privatization of prisons and detention centers, which commodifies human beings for corporate gain. These facilities should be operated by the government, with robust oversight and accountability measures to uphold human rights standards and prioritize rehabilitation over profits. I urge you to support legislation that bans for-profit prisons from contracting with federal agencies for immigration detention and incarceration services. This is a crucial step towards a more just and humane criminal justice and immigration system.