Jamiles Lartey:
Well, look, private prisons, by definition, have a fiduciary obligation to shareholders to maximize profit, right? So, in that context, let’s just use common sense.
Every medical service not rendered, every food item not purchased, every accommodation not provided serves the interests of shareholders, up until the moment that conditions get so bad that the government cancels the contract or a lawsuit forces them to pay out.
So, in immigration detention, that tipping point almost never comes. Contracts are routinely renewed even after serious violations. That’s something that predated the Trump administration. But as this administration pursues its hard-line and often performatively cruel approach to enforcement, it seems like it’s only likely to become more common.
In terms of how the companies are reacting, they’re excited, right? That’s the simple answer. They’re excited and they see this as an opportunity to be more financially successful than they have ever been.
