COMMUNITY GROUPS JOIN NATIONAL CAMPAIGN EXPOSING PRIVATE PRISON PROFITEERING

TUCSON- Anti-immigrant laws, like Arizona’s SB 1070, are not only a consequence of racism but also a drive for profit. The private prison industry, including Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and the Geo Group (Geo), is the force behind lobbying efforts that increase penalties and incarcerations by the federal government and by states such as Arizona and Georgia. Their current business plans push for harsher immigrant incarceration policies.

Such policies drive up prison populations and put added strains on state and federal budgets.  Increasing prison costs cause cuts in funding for education and health care.

It is a huge business to criminalize and incarcerate people. Those who benefit are companies (shareholders) that invest in the prison industry.

Wells Fargo is one of the largest investors in Geo Group.

This is why we have joined the Prison Industry Divestment Campaign (spearheaded by Enlace, a Los-Angeles-based group) to convince shareholders (banks, hedge funds, etc.) to divest their funds from the prison industry so that we can make an impact on the prison business and reduce the power of CCA and GEO to lobby for laws that imprison our communities.

In Tucson, we will be at Wells Fargo downtown at 4p.m. followed by a delegation that will go inside to deliver a letter to Wells Fargo management asking them to divest from the prison industry.

What: Press Conference at (and delegation delivering letter to Wells Fargo management)

When: Thursday May 12, 2010, 4p.m.

Where: Wells Fargo- Downtown building, 150 N Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ

For more information, contact: Raul Alcaraz 520-304-1461, corazondetucson@yahoo.com

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