Dear Friend,

The Trump administration has torn an estimated 2,500 children from their parents and placed them in detention centers.(1) Many of them have disappeared into the system and will never see their families again.

When it comes to the conditions inside these detention centers, we are being left in the dark while the billion dollar private prison industry is expected to reap massive profits as a result of the Trump administration’s proposal to spend billions more in federal taxpayer dollars to warehouse children and their families.(2)(3)

Private prisons are being run without the same oversight as other prisons, thanks to a loophole that allows them to withhold information. Together, we must change that. That is why we are working with our partners to pass the Private Prison Information Act, which would ensure private contractors adhere to the same public disclosure laws as their federal counterparts.

Call on Congress to act immediately and demand accountability from the private prison industry.

There is no time to waste. If we don’t act now, as it stands, any potential violations of the law, abuse, or mistreatment of detainees that occur in private prisons may remain hidden from public scrutiny. The lack of transparency also makes it harder to guard against waste of taxpayer dollars.

The Department of Justice Inspector General found that federal prisons run by private companies are substantially less safe and secure than those run by the Bureau of Prisons. Just last month, there were reports that “almost 300 migrant children have been removed from a border patrol facility in Texas after media reports of lawyers describing ‘appalling’ and potentially dangerous conditions.”(4)

This legislation is now more important than ever. The public needs to know what is happening inside those detention centers so that we can hold them accountable to their actions. 

Demand private prison contractors adhere to public disclosure laws.

In solidarity,

Diego, along with Analeeza, Caitlin, Brenna, Eddie, Gabby, Lindsay, Mai, Mary, Molly, Raquel, and Scottie (the Courage team)

Footnotes:
1. https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/family-separation
2. https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/capitalizing-on-mass-incarceration-u-s-growth-in-private-prisons/
3. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2018/06/28/452912/trumps-executive-order-rewards-private-prison-campaign-donors/
4. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/nearly-300-migrant-children-removed-texas-facility-described-appaling-n1021151?no_akid=1

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