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NY Ends Investments In Private Prisons, Detention Companies

NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
WAMC Photo by Dave Lucas
NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli

New York state is selling nearly $10 million in pension investments in two companies that operate private prisons and detention facilities.  Democratic state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli approved the divestments Thursday for Florida-based GEO Group and Tennessee-based CoreCivic.

Critics say private prisons aren't as accountable as government-run facilities, and privately run detention centers have come under fire for their treatment of immigrants.

While the investments are only a small fraction of the state's $207 billion pension system, advocates for immigrants and corrections reform praised DiNapoli's decision to divest, which they said is a national first.

DiNapoli's spokeswoman said the divestment won't negatively impact the health of the pension fund.

In response, the GEO Group and CoreCivic released statements defending their operations and saying criticism of their work is politically motivated.

© 2018 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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