They check in but they don't check out.

The title to this article can be a paraphrase of an old Eagles song or the tagline for a Raid commercial, but unfortunately this saying isn’t being applied to bugs, but to human beings.

On Friday, a Missouri Federal Judge ruled that the state’s civil commitment program needs to change. This ruling is the second in a few months (in June, Minnesota’s was ruled against also) that found that the “civil commitment” is not a treatment program, but instead an unconstitutional detention of people after their punishment has been served.

“The Constitution,” the judge’s ruling stated, “does not allow (Missouri officials) to impose lifetime detention on individuals who have completed their prison sentences and who no longer pose a danger to the public, no matter how heinous their past conduct.”

The same holds true with respect to Florida’s Civil Commitment center, except Florida’s adds an element that should be much more offensive to human conscience; it’s FOR PROFIT.

Florida’s Civil Commitment Program is run by “Correct Care Recovery Solutions” (formerly Geo Group… formerly Wackenhut… but all the same public company). Which is for profit. The more people it houses there, the more money they make, so it’s in their best interest to pack the house. The longer they keep people locked up, the more money they make. According to financial statements the company reports to be growing at around 10% annually.

• Q: Where does that money come from?
• A: Tax payers!

 

• Q: Who is the beneficiary of that money?
• A:Politicians and lobbyists!

 

GEO Group gave Rick Scott’s Let’s Get to Work PAC $315,000 dollars in the 2014 election cycle and gave the Republican Party of Florida $1,016,000 dollars from 2009-2014. Founder and current GEO CEO George Zoley hosted a $10,000-a-plate fundraising dinner in July 2014. GEO Group previously contributed $25,000 to Scott’s 2010 inauguration, while Zoley himself donated $20,000 for Scott to help upgrade the governor’s mansion.

“Despite the well-documented failures of private prisons, Florida continues to lead the country in wasting taxpayer money to line the pockets of private companies. In fact, 100% of Florida’s youth prison system, with a budget of $183 million, is controlled by companies like GEO Group, Youth Services International (YSI), G4S, and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), all of which have horrific track records of sexual abuse, improperly trained staff, unethical business practices, increased violence, and grave human rights violations. Annual quality assurance reviews are supposed to help the state decide if it will renew its private prison contracts, but private prison lobbyists have corrupted the process.” (source)

• Q: How do they get away with this?
• A: Politicians and lobbyists!

The GEO Group’s primary lobbyists are Susie Wiles and Ron Book. Susie Wiles served as the campaign manager for Governor Scott’s campaign in 2010. Ron Book, by now everyone knows, is the lobbyist who pushes for tougher sex offender laws. His daughter Lauren’s organization receives more in donations than any other special interest groups.

Legislative appropriation records show that of the 27 special interest groups to be allocated funds from a $19 million pot earmarked this year for “school and instructional enhancements,” Lauren’s Kids will get the most, $3.8 million. More than two dozens youth organizations, including the Girl Scouts of Florida and the YMCA, are to receive less than $300,000 each. (Source)

Lauren Book recently announced she is running for State Senate. Now Ron Book won’t have to lobby legislators to pass laws; he has his own vehicle through which to pass them. Lauren’s campaign raised over a million dollars before she even announced she was running. Among her biggest donors; Geo Group!