Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 32 into law phasing out for-profit prisons and immigrant detention centers by 2028. The law prohibits state officials from signing new agreements with private prisons or renewing existing contracts starting next year, unless needed to comply with court-ordered population caps.
AB 32 will also ban all private detention centers from operating in California by the time their current contracts run out, including private immigrant detention facilities that contract with federal immigration authorities. However, it wouldn’t prohibit the federal government from building its own detention centers in California.
This is a bad law but liberals and no-border activists love it.
“Closing immigrant prisons is an essential step towards dismantling a system that profits off of abuse and lines the pockets of private prison executives and industry shareholders,” Christina Fialho, executive director of Freedom for Immigrants, said in a statement. “AB 32 is truly a model for the rest of the nation.”
Fialho is a nut job. She advocates not arresting those violating our laws and considers incarceration abuse. As a socialist she believes private prisons should not make a profit which is nonsense. Maybe she is ‘lining her own pockets’ off immigrants.
Private prisons meet a need and can save the taxpayers money. They came about because federal and state governments were unable or unwilling to fund new prison construction to keep pace with increasing inmate populations. California’s private prisons are overseen by the California Department of Corrections (CDC) and whatever the CDC desires can be placed in the contracts.
The liberal idea that privately operated prisons are morally wrong to make a profit is insane. Liberals that think most prisoners are incarcerated unjustly.
AB 32 will not result in a reduction in federal immigration enforcement in California or the release of currently detained immigrants, as some immigrant advocates hope. Enforcement actions will continue, with those arrested, along with those currently detained, being transported to out of state facilities as far away as Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. ICE has done this before to deal with detention bed shortages. Many of these alternative facilities will be privately owned and operated.
Citizens pay for incarcerating prisoners whether they are cared for by government or in the private sector. Without any private prisons, the alternative would be to reduce arrests, or release convicted criminals.
Fialho, like other liberals, hypocritically criticizes separating detainees from their families when this law will mandate exporting illegals arrested here to other states and farther from family members and visiting opportunities. Fialho ignores this in her quest to close all prisons and have open borders.
Immigration attorneys and nonprofit organizations that are plentiful in California to serve detainees will be harder to locate in other states as well.
Newsom did not need legislation to take this action as the CDC is empowered to contract with private prisons. Newsom simply could have ordered them to stop but did not want to face the push-back personally.
The California State Sheriffs Association says banning private prisons takes away an important option the state has to ensure its prisons aren’t overcrowded. Inhumane conditions in the state’s overcrowded prisons occurred as liberal legislators refused to build new prisons.
The concept that only government should house prisoners is short-sighted. Gov. Newsom thinking California is innovative choses instead to go backwards. Sending good thoughts and closing prisons does not rehabilitate inmates or solve overcrowding.
(Get Lou’s podcast at “No Hostages Radio” and his articles at nohostagesradio.com)
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