Did you know that 100% of military helmets and bullet-proof vests are manufactured by prison labor? Or that for-profit prison corporations have donated more than $45 million to political campaigns? 

I think the most disturbing fact about for-profit prisons is that state governments sign contracts guaranteeing a percentage of beds filled, usually 90%. America’s largest for-profit prison system, Corrections Corporation of America, reportedly raked in 1.7 BILLION in 2011, and donated 1.9 MILLION in political contributions. Talk about an investment paying off! 

Mass incarceration is one of the issues that will prevent many people from supporting the Democratic nomination of Kamala Harris for president. Why? Because statistics from the ACLU that show that people of color are providing the majority of free labor for these predatory corporations. While low-income people, whatever their color, are more likely to be incarcerated, people of color are still incarcerated at much higher rates.

The links below show the extent to which the color green has transformed our justice system into a modern-day slave auction.

www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/private-prisons
www.propublica.org/article/by-the-numbers-the-u.s.s-growing-for-profit-detention-industry
truth-out.org/news/item/20880-for-profit-prisons-eight-statistics-that-show-the-problems