Dear Editor,
In his excellent and informative article on prison overcrowding in Vermont, Ethan Weinstein briefly mentions CoreCivic, the private prison company that Vermont contracts to house prisoners in Mississippi. Readers should know that CoreCivic is a current and longtime client of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, with more than 500 ICE officials assigned to CoreCivic’s detention facilities.
They should also know that CoreCivic has a long record of providing inadequate mental and physical health care to inmates, as documented by investigative reporter Shane Bauer for Mother Jones and in his book, “American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment.” Bauer documents that the services provided are even more limited than those in state-run facilities and that CoreCivic faces the same hiring problems described by Weinstein.
Vermont prisoners sent to Mississippi may be out of sight, but Vermont remains morally responsible for the way its prisoners are treated. Vermont should find a better way to house its inmates and should not support the private prison industry.
T. Desmond Brown, MD
Lunenburg
