Bullock and CoreCivic (ACLU)

[backtoblue]

By SK Rossi, Advocacy and Policy Director, ACLU of Montana
AUGUST 8, 2018 | 5:30 PM

In November 2017, Gov. Steve Bullock convened a special legislative session to fix Montana’s $75 million budget deficit. The executive and legislative branches arrived in the capitol, allotting themselves five days to hash out whether to cut essential services and programs, raise revenues, or both. CoreCivic — which owns and operates the Crossroads Correction Center, the only for-profit prison in Montana — smelled blood in the water.

With its multimillion dollar state contract set to expire, CoreCivic made an offer to Gov. Bullock: If he agreed to extend the Crossroads contract for another 10 years, the private prison company would return $34 million that the state had been accruing in a “buy back” fund. The fund is currently under CoreCivic’s control, and its purpose was to help the state eventually purchase and take over the approximately 600-bed facility in Shelby, Montana.

In response to CoreCivic’s blatant attempt to leverage the state into a decision that would entrench private prisons and harm taxpayers, the ACLU of Montana launched an aggressive lobbying effort. The result: Montanans called the governor and their legislators. Things got tense in the capitol, and eventually the governor said “no” to CoreCivic’s initial offer in November, 2017.

That “no” did not last, however. In late July, Gov. Bullock extended CoreCivic’s contract for two more years, rather than 10, in return for the $34 million. That’s two years too long.

Motivated only by profit, CoreCivic — which changed its name from Corrections Corporation of America to mask its damaged reputation — has a terrible track record in the state at delivering corrections solutions that make sense. In fact, CoreCivic’s abysmal reputation extends well beyond Montana’s borders. Across the country, the private prison giant is known for human rights abuses, understaffing that directly contributes to increased violence, and prioritizing profits over people.

Snip........

https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/private-prison-giant-corecivic-manipulates-montana-renewing


Note:. I did not post this as a smear to Gov. Bullock, but rather to draw attention to the prison-for-profit schemes.

[MontanaMama]

1. I didn't know any of this.

Overall, I think Gov Bullock has been a solid governor for MT. Not perfect but consistent and thoughtful. I’m not sure about him for president at the moment we are in...he could be more polished and certainly more progressive imho...but I appreciate his voice and believe he would be an asset to any Dem administration in some capacity. Thanks for the info.

[backtoblue]

2. I came across it by accident myself

I was searching CoreCivic and this blog popped up.

I honestly don't know much about Bullock. I'm certain he is a good person, though, who was trying to do best by his state.

However, if he happened to be a front-runner this would likely take him off my short list for president. CoreCivic's very first contract was for an immigration facility. I'm going to have to look inside my own state government to see if/ how these companies are doing business here.

Hope you have a good weekend! It's raining here and cooled off alot.

[MontanaMama]

3. Oh it is a black mark on his record to be sure.

He most likely knows that which may be why he agreed to a 2 year contract instead of a 10 year agreement. Still, it should have been a no-go. Bullock is a good man...he walks a tightrope here in MT which is still a deep red state with a few spots of blue and purple mixed in. I wish he would have run for Steve Daines’ Senate seat instead of president.

I appreciate an OP illustrating some of less than stellar info about our Dem candidates that we all need to know but doing it in a way that folks don’t get their undies all wadded up enough to alert as bashing Dems...this is how it is done. Good job.

Hope you have a good weekend too. It has been raining on and off here as well. Fall is coming.