For the first time ever, a majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana use,
which is one of the major dangers to CCA’s private prison business plan,
according to CCA itself.

Emily Ekins wrote for Reason-RUPE 18 October 2011,

New Gallup Survey: A Majority of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use

The latest Gallup poll shows a record high of 50 percent of Americans
in favor of legalizing marijuana use. This follows a consistent upward
trend, picking up speed in 2006 when 36 percent of Americans favored
marijuana legalization.

CCA wrote in its
2010 Annual Report to the SEC:

The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by
the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole
standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization
of certain activities that are currently proscribed by our criminal
laws. For instance, any changes with respect to drugs and controlled
substances or illegal immigration could affect the number of persons
arrested, convicted, and sentenced, thereby potentially reducing demand
for correctional facilities to house them.

That would be reduced demand for correctional facilities like
the private prison the Industrial Authority wants CCA to build in
Lowndes County, Georgia.
Gov. Deal already signed a bill that sets up a panel to look into

sentencing reform for drug offenses.
Do Valdosta and Lowndes County want to be like
Littlefield, Texas
whose private prison closed,
or
Grayson County, Virginia,
whose state prison never opened?
In both cases after a lot of tax money was spent?

We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia.
Spend those tax dollars on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq