The High Court of Justice put an end to years of controversy Thursday
by ruling that privately run prisons are unconstitutional.
Following the decision, the state is expected to have to pay hundreds
of millions of shekels in compensation to a company that had already
completed construction of the first private prison, near Be’er Sheva.
The panel of nine justices, presided over by Supreme Court President Dorit
Beinisch, ruled that for the state to transfer authority for managing
the prison to a private contractor whose aim is monetary profit would
severely violate the prisoners’ basic human rights to dignity and freedom.
“The shipping of fathers and mothers to private prisons in far-flung
states is guaranteeing a new generation of frightened, angry,
disenfranchised children, who are future inmates,” she said, adding that
“families who try to visit loved ones are treated as suspects in many
prisons. The children cannot understand the lack of warmth and hospitality
in the visiting rooms.”
The Episcopal Church’s General Convention is on record in opposition to
private prisons.
Wiregrass Technical College wants to expand onto some land owned
by the Industrial Authority, using
SPLOST funds.
Chairman Jerry Jennett:
The point is they’re landlocked.
And so what you want to do is you want to take what your tract is now
and have the ability to expand your building in the future.
You want to move your training facility now and….
Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director,
Allan Ricketts Program Manager, 15 March 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Water scarcity is a reality for many American states, particularly in
the Southwest, and over-development in desert areas is compounding the
issues between Colorado, Nevada and California. Georgia’s problems
pale in comparison, but if the drought continues, consumption limits
and conservation are going to have to be implemented again.
The VDT mentions a student group trying to do something about it:
Saturday, the VSU Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is hosting
a community Walk for Water to raise awareness and money for people
worldwide who don’t have access to clean water.
Ed Lightsey writes in GeorgiaTrend for March 2011,
Valdosta/Lowndes County: Taking Off
about many good developments in Lowndes County.
But among them is this:
About two years ago, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) began
looking for sites on which to build a prison, and after an 18-month
search chose Lowndes County, a decision that promises 400 to 600 new
jobs. “It’s a $150-million investment,” Lofton says. “That’s
the second largest investment in the history of the county. And of those
promised jobs, about 120 will require post secondary education; they are
nurses, physician assistants, dieticians and vocational rehab folks.”
CCA is the fifth largest penal system in the country, behind Florida,
Califor-nia, Texas and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to
Lofton. “They have about 20,000 employees across the country,”
he says.
Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
15 March 2011
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
“…we hope will be under construction in the next 18 months.
It will be about $150 million dollar project;
anywhere from 4 to 600 new jobs.
A lot of communities in Georgia are built around state prisons.
A hundred of those 400 will be post-secondary, nutritionalists,
physicians, nurses, vocational rehab, so we’re proud of that project.
You’ll start to hear a little bit more about that.
There will be about 300 construction jobs over about a 24 month period,
which will have a major impact on the community.”
Brad Lofton, Executive Director,
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
speaking at the
Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Look through the shell companies like Adage to the real backers.
Why is the source of
the recent news about Adage biomass
plants
being cancelled
the Charlotte Business Journal?
Adage is “An Areva/Duke Energy advanced biopower company.”
And Charlotte is where Duke Energy is based.
The joint venture has yet to build a biomass plant anywhere. DePonty
says it is clear that Adage will not achieve the goal announced when
Duke and Areva formed it to build 10 to 12 biomass plants around the
country by 2013.
As of 21 December 2010,
apparently things were still pretty tentative
when Brad Lofton gave an update to the VLCIA board,
claiming the CCA private prison would bring 600 jobs to Lowndes County, Georgia:
Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Gary Minchew, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
21 December 2010
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
“I think we can do better than a generator that burns human waste. I
think we can do better than a private prison and those are two things
that we seem to be excited about as a community.”
Next, we’ll see if objections had any effect on the Industrial Authority.
The High Court of Justice put an end to years of controversy Thursday by ruling that privately run prisons are unconstitutional.
