[moxie]

Originally Posted by Nat

Federal Lawsuit Reveals Inhumane Conditions at For-Profit Youth Prison

Youth at Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility Suffering Brutal Conditions, Horrific Physical Abuse and Denials of Educational and Medical Services

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Jackson, MS civil rights attorney Robert B. McDuff today filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the for-profit operators of Mississippi's Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility (WGYCF), charging that the children there are forced to live in barbaric and unconstitutional conditions and are subjected to excessive uses of force by prison staff.

Among the named defendants in the lawsuit, filed on behalf of all the teenagers and young men in the facility, are the Walnut Grove Correctional Authority and the Geo Group, Inc., the second largest private prison company in the country. The facility houses youth between the ages of 13 and 22 who have been tried and convicted as adults.

The lawsuit describes a facility well known for its culture of violence and corruption –a culture that is perpetuated by WGYCF’s incompetent management. Some prison staff exploit youth by selling drugs inside the facility. Other staff members abuse their power by engaging in sexual relationships with the youth in their care. Many youth have suffered serious and permanent physical injuries as a result of the WGYCF’s deficient security policies and violent staff members. Youth who are handcuffed and defenseless are kicked, punched and beaten all over their bodies. Youth secure in their cells are blinded with chemical restraints.

This is old, but am just now reading it.

Private (or for-profit) prisons are known for their bad conditions and poor pay for staff. CCA is one of the major players in the private prisons and last time I knew they were trying to pay prison guards $9.25/hr and of course were horribly understaffed because of the low rate in pay. And they, along with the state/federal-run prisons are moving away from rehabilitation to help reduce recidivism and focus on punishment; but the lack of rehabilitation is moreso present in private prisons. Recidivism is good for them, it ups the demand and keeps their beds full, which makes them money.

Will write more later. This video is from 2008 but has some good information.

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/419/video.html