Categories: USA

California Lawmakers pass a bill of closing ICE detention centers and private prisons

The lawmakers of California have passed a bill on Wednesday which bans the private prisons and detention center to operate in the state. The new move will close four larger immigration detention centers in which 4500 people could be imprisoned at a time. This legislation is a clear victory in the way of bringing criminal justice reforms in the state.

The bill removes the profit motives from imprisonment. California was relied on the private facilities for reducing the crowding in the state-run prisons. California is the fastest growing market for private prison companies. According to the report of the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, the private prisons of California locked up 7000 people as recent as 2016.

The private prisons locked up 5% of the total imprisoned population of California. In the recent time, a huge number of prisoners were transferred from the private prisons to the state-run facilities. Only 2222 prisoners were kept in the private facilities as of June. Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, has not signed the bill yet. He signaled last year that he supported the ban on private prisons.

The Geo Group, a private prison company, runs four private prison facilities in California and it has a contract with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation of California until 2023. The contract will not be renewed under the new bill. The contract can only be renewed if a federal court gives an order to reduce crowding in the state-run facilities.

The new bill, AB32, is also the main point between the fight of California and Trump administration over the treatment of immigrants. The Geo Group opened the detention centers through complicated contracts. Lizbeth Abeln, a member of Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, said, “The private prison comes in and lobbies and promises jobs and tax money.” Abeln added, “This legislation is the most powerful we have had.”

Gabriella Remillard

Staff writer for the Chicago Morning Star

Recent Posts

Senate Democrats mock Biden for selling weapons to Israel

Some of President Biden's strongest Senate allies are calling on Israelis to end months of fierce fighting and criticizing the…

11 months ago

The biggest cities in Ukraine are struck by Russian missiles, leaving at least 4 dead and over 100 injured

Ukraine's KYIV — At least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured when Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles attacked Ukraine's…

11 months ago

Good News That’s Much Needed for Biden

The economy is making Americans feel a little more upbeat, especially when it comes to jobs and incomes, which could…

12 months ago

College Ventilation System Reveals Missing Man

The discovery of a decaying body inside a college ventilation system marked the tragic and unexplained end to a missing…

12 months ago

Following three Palestinian shots, a Vermont man was arrested

Following the shooting deaths of three 20-year-old Palestinian-American students in Vermont, authorities have detained a man. According to a news…

12 months ago

China is told to cease “COVID deception” due to the pneumonia outbreak by the US envoy

The United States ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, urged Chinese authorities "to abandon COVID deception" and demanded that China be…

12 months ago

This website uses cookies.