California – Governor Brown signed SB29, known as Dignity Not Detention, the country’s first legislation against for-profit immigrant detention centers. This victory was a direct result of years of organizing, raising awareness, and building momentum by immigrant justice advocates and communities.
Dignity Not Detention is a step toward ending for-profit detention centers in California by prohibiting the state government from entering into new contracts with private companies seeking to detain immigrants for pay. The bill also will prohibit private property from being used to build new detention centers and prevents existing contracts from being modified or extended.
CIYJA acknowledges that this is not a solution toward the broader issue of immigrant criminalization, but it is a stepping stone toward ensuring that we end immigrant detention and get ICE out of California.
Prison Industry Divestment Movement 