Private Prison Company Lobbies Vermont Officials to Build Proposed Facility

Private prison company CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, is already angling to build the 925-bed prison that Gov. Phil Scott’s administration proposed Monday.

The company, which rebranded in 2016, is one of the country’s largest private prison operators. For a decade, it housed several hundred Vermont inmates in Kentucky and Arizona.

Under the Scott administration’s proposal, Vermont would contract with a private company to construct a $140 million prison in Franklin County over a 10-year period, which the state would then operate. The vision is far from becoming a reality. Lawmakers only started reviewing the concept Tuesday.

In an apparent effort to position itself for that contract, CoreCivic lobbyists are making overtures to key state lawmakers. The company has four employees registered to lobby in the state and is also represented by the Vermont lobbying firm MMR.

Read more: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2018/01/16/company-lobbies-vermont-officials-to-build-proposed-new-prison