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For Immediate Release //
November 8th 2019
Contact: Armando Carmona, 951-966-6500, armando@tzunu.com, media@ic4ij.com
TRANSCRIPT: GEO Group & ICE working to Undermine California Policy, Pre-Empt Private Prison Ban (AB-32)
In earnings call, the Chairman of GEO Group announces long term 10-year contracts & $600 million dollars in profits for Q3
San Bernardino, CA – This week, The GEO Group hosted a Third Quarter 2019 Earnings Call where George C. Zoley, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of GEO group made clear their effort to undermine California’s AB-32, which would effectively ban their for-profit operation, by a “procurement” which would “result in new long-term contracts starting in mid-December of this year” and would also allow Adelanto the facility in the High Desert to be re-bid potentially leading to a large expansion of detention capacity in California.
Lizbeth Abeln, Immigrant Detention Coordinator with IC4IJ issued the following statement:
“The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and community members of the Inland Empire are deeply concerned with the recent actions taken by ICE as it relates to contracting with the for profit prison the GEO group as a shady scheme to circumvent state law AB-32.
“Private Prison companies are incentivized by our federal government to incarcerate black and brown communities at alarming rates. Their business model furthers the criminalization and dehumanization of immigrants while continuing to give false economic hope. Just last year, the GEO group raked in 2.3 billion dollars in profit while neglecting medical care to sick detainees, refusing to give proper food or meals, exploiting their labor and subjecting our community to racist violence.
“Immigrant communities are under attack under this administration. Our local region, the Inland Empire, continues to be a target for increased detention capacity it is already a prison town and we are tired of it. This is one of the many reasons why the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice along with advocates across the state of California fought tirelessly to ensure the passage of AB-32. Last month Otay Mesa reported yet another death of a Cameroonian immigrant. This week, a whistleblower and former employee even filed a lawsuit against GEO affirming much of what we already knew, these for-profit prisons should not exist. The bodies are piling up and we need to ensure that we permanently shut down these inhumane facilities.”