Take a strong opposition to any sort of expansion of the Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield by signing this petition.
Mesa Verde is a jail re-purposed to house immigrant prisoners in 2015 despite strong opposition by health officials and community members because of fears of Valley Fever outbreaks for detainees. It is run by GEO Group, the largest for-profit immigrant prison corporation in the U.S. They are infamous for human rights violations and terrible conditions in their detention centers that have sparked numerous investigations.
In the past few months, GEO has quietly been buying property around Mesa Verde, including the Bakersfield Dome, a historic community space, without any explanation.
We want to be clear: Expanding Mesa Verde would be a legal and moral violation in Kern County. We demand that Bakersfield City Council, Mcfarland City Council, and Kern Board of Supervisors assure the public that no such expansion will take place.
Prison Industry Divestment Movement 