NPR SHOWS SIGNIFICANT TIES BETWEEN PRIVATE PRISON CORPORATIONS AND ARIZONA’S SB 1070

Arizona’s new immigration law, SB 1070 calls for the arrest of anyone who cannot prove they are in the country legally. As a result, if the legislation is found to be constitutional, thousands of people will be jailed for being unable to show documentation that they entered the country legally. One group that will make a lot of money off of this is the private prison industry.

A study by NPR showed that the Arizona legislation was drafted by American Legislative Exchange Council {ALEC) an organization that brings together legislators and corporate lobbyists. Both Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce, the primary sponsor of the legislation and the Corrections Corporation of America, the largest owner of private prisons in the country are members of ALEC and were present at the meeting where Pearce presented the idea to ALEC.

While legislators pay $50 to join ALEC 200 corporations pay tens of thousands of dollars to belong. The money is used to pay the way of legislators to three conferences a year where they meet with lobbyists and are wined and dined by them.

Pearce’s legislation had thirty-six co-sponsors shortly after he filed it with the Arizona Senate. Two thirds of the co-sponsors either attended the ALEC meeting where the legislation was written or are members of ALEC. Thirty of the thirty-six co-sponsors received donations either from the Corrections Corporation of America ( CCA) or other corporations that own private prisons. Arizona governor Jan Brewer, a major supporter of SB 1070,is a major recipient of CCA money. Her campaign manager is a lobbyist for CCA. Her communications director, Paul Senseman is a former lobbyist for the company and Senseman’s wife continues to lobby for the company. Company employees and executives have donated significant amounts to her campaign and to Brewer supported causes.