Investigating Profit Motive and the Rise in the Number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detainees

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Situated within a theoretical framework of Nils Christie's discussion of the crime control industry, this poster will present information on the recent rise in the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees as it pertains to the use of private prisons. Specifically, the recent increase in the number of ICE detainees has been accompanied by large multi-million dollar contracts to some of the United States' largest private prison companies. Photo copies of actual contracts will be presented for visual effect in hopes of sparking discussion about the causes of detention for profit, as well as potential solutions for fighting against the influence private prison lobbyists have over the U.S. criminal justice system and its policies.

Author

• Allen Copenhaver, University of Louisville