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One of the fastest growing prison populations in the U.S. today is “non-criminal immigrants,” housed largely in private prisons run by companies like the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and GEO group. An article last week in the Wall Street Journal boasted about the “long-term growth” of such companies for as long as “America’s appetite for imprisonment” stays strong. However, the corporations that benefit from zealous imprisonment are the same ones lobbying Congress for laws like Arizona’s draconian SB 1070 which harshly targets immigrant communities. Copycat laws have sprouted in more than 20 states – a fact that bodes well for the private prison industry. But such imprisonment costs tax payers more than $10 billion a year. Worse, there have been documented cases of serious abuse of women and children, as well as death from lack of medical care in facilities run by CCA and GEO – the two companies which together account for 75% of the private prison business. Today, community organizations and labor groups are protesting in front of the Wells Fargo Towers in Los Angeles. Wells Fargo, along with General Electric, and other companies, are among the major investors in the private prison industry. The LA activists are organizing one of five nationwide actions around the country to call attention to a “national prison industry divestment campaign.”

GUEST: Garrick Ruiz, volunteer with ENLACE

Los Angeles Protest information:

Where: Wells Fargo Towers 333 S Grand Ave, LA

When: Thursday May12th from 4pm- 6pm [News Conference at 5pm]

Find out more at www.enlaceintl.org.