NextGen California praises the signing of AB 32 which sends a strong message that California will not participate in the dehumanization of people by allowing corporations to profit from detention of its residents.
Sacramento, CA — Today, Governor Newsom signed AB 32 (Bonta, D-Oakland), ending state government contracts with private, for-profit prisons in California. These private detention facilities are incarcerating California citizens and undocumented populations, including large numbers of minor children. AB 32 ensures that these for-profit facilities will no longer be part of the California prison system. “It’s no secret that private detention companies have now become synonymous with pictures of young children in cages and the inhumane treatment of its detainees;” said Arnold Sowell Jr., Executive Director of NextGen California. “Corporations profiting off of the detention of human beings, whether state residents or undocumented immigrants, is simply unacceptable. These facilities are causing undue trauma and irrevocable harm to immigrant children and their families. Private prisons have no place in California and we hope to see other states follow suit and end their contracts with these facilities right away.” NextGen California is a strong advocate for criminal justice reform, immigrant rights, and protecting the dignity of all people. We do not believe that human beings, especially children, should be subject to unsanitary conditions, consistent mistreatment, or separated from their families. Such actions are a direct contradiction to the human rights that all Californians value. We thank Governor Newsom for his leadership in signing AB 32 and Assemblymember Bonta for championing this critical human rights issue. California has once again shown that our moral compass always points towards upholding the dignity of all people.