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How one influential group is driving Ohio’s political agenda At least four major studies released over the last year have come to the same conclusion about private prisons: they don’t save a dime. One study after another has offered the identical bottom line: the selling or leasing of Ohio prisons has nothing to do with trying to fill a budget hole. Rather, such moves are ideological at best, and downright politically motivated at worst. Policy Matters Ohio authored two such studies, which found that no savings would materialize by their sale and that, in fact, it is likely taxpayers will pay more. The Ohio ACLU followed with a similar study and conclusion, as did the Sentencing Project. More and more, researchers are pointing to the political influence that private prison companies wield involving Limited Government · Free Markets · Federalism seedy back door deals, campaign contributions and a whole lot of cash--all of which ensures that private prisons stay full and private prison companies have record profits. The most recent private prison study by The Sentencing Project concludes that legislation authored by The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is largely driving the pro-prison privatization agenda by developing model legislation that serves corporate interests. For instance, the group, along with cohorts from Corrections Corporation of America and the GEO Group, has spent the last several years developing a series of tough-on-crime proposals meant to increase incarceration rates and keep private prison doors open and swinging wide. Dozens of large corporations donate millions to ALEC, and, in turn, ALEC does its job advocating to cut government services – and contract with them. Just as disturbing as the ALEC-inspired lobbying, is the huge amount of campaign cash private prison companies have been spending on federal and state political races. According to the Sentencing Project, from 2004 to 2010, the amount of state and federal contributions made by CCA to political campaigns more than doubled from less than $600,000 in 2004 to nearly $1,200,000 in 2010. It’s no coincidence that as politicians’ campaign coffers grew, so did the number of private prisons across the U.S. From 1999 to 2010, the number of inmates incarcerated in private prisons grew by a whopping 80 percent, while overall the prison population grew by only 17 percent.* In Ohio, several bills, including the one that privatized a Conneaut prison and leased North Central Correctional Institution came straight from the ALEC playbook. In fact, according to research by Progress Ohio and others, Ohio anti-worker legislators have let ALEC write nearly 33 bills just last year that have found their way to the Statehouse. Which begs the question: If in fact lawmakers aren’t passing laws based on what their constituents need, but rather what right-wing think tanks and corporate CEOS want, who are they ultimately representing? * The Sentencing Project, Jan. 2012 10 Public Employee Quarterly Winter 2012
Despite privatization, Adam Ruth, chapter vice president and Mike Tenney, chapter president of North Central Correctional Institution, had their work cut out for them last year. Not only did they spend the summer collecting signatures and fighting off Senate Bill 5, but, come the fall, they were also forced to defend against the privatization of the Marion prison they both worked in. While the good news in September was that the Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction decided NOT to sell five prisons outright to private prison companies; the bad news was they would be leasing NCCI and the moth-balled Marion Juvenile Correctional Facility to Management Training Corporation. But Chap. 5188 didn’t miss a beat. Numerous rallies and press events held outside the prison made the important connection between Senate Bill 5 and privatization, with picketers holding signs against both. Chapter members even gathered signatures on the picket line to put Senate Bill 5 on the ballot. “Privatization and attacks on our collective bargaining rights go hand in hand. It’s all about taking away our rights, destroying our way of life, and ultimately, eliminating the middle class,” said Tenney. Once it was clear the administration was moving forward with its privatization scheme, Ruth and Tenney joined OCSEA leaders and staff throughout northern Ohio to work to ensure employees had jobs if they wanted them. A “war room” was set up at OCSEA Headquarters that was decorated with posters detailing who was being displaced and which prisons had positions for them. “The chapter leaders at NCCI are some of the hardest working men and women I know,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. “This was not an easy process. They were not only dealing with this huge loss in their community with the privatization of a facility and loss of jobs, they were also fighting to keep their rights so that the process would be a fair one.” Thanks to OCSEAnegotiated contract language, employees affected by a layoff have the opportunity to “bump” less senior employees as well as to fill vacancies under contract Article 18.14. Under SB 5, layoffs would have also been based on merit. And thanks to the dedication of chapter leaders, nearly every OCSEA member who wanted one was offered a job through the process. That didn’t mean the change didn’t come with a cost, however. Many employees are now commuting a much greater distance to keep their NCCI Chapter President Michael Tenney spent most of last year fighting SB 5 but also protesting the privatization of his Marion prison. jobs. Others simply couldn’t afford to take a job with a long commute. “Finding positions for the majority of NCCI employees simply would not have happened under Senate Bill 5,” said Ruth. “In fact, that whole process of filling positions based on seniority in the result of a layoff, would not have existed.” NCCI Chap. Vice Pres. Adam Ruth and Chap. Pres. Mike Tenney work in the 'war room' at OCSEA Headquarters to help find work for displaced Corrections employees. Winter 2012 Public Employee Quarterly 11
Page 1 and 2: AFSCME LOCAL 11/AFL-CIO PUBLIC EMPL
Page 3 and 4: One big battle, or death by 1,000 c
Page 5 and 6: WILLIAMS LOCAL AFL-CIO Ohio Civil S
Page 7 and 8: Prison Privatization Plan Curtailed
Page 9: OCSEA activists assist with the Wis
Page 13 and 14: We rallied. We signed. We marched.
Page 15 and 16: AFSCME honors Ohio, Wisconsin activ
Page 17 and 18: Brandi POtts Pott's seven-year-old
Page 19 and 20: It's time to apply! 2012 Les Best S
Page 21 and 22: ut not giving up On Nov. 28, 2011,
Page 23 and 24: Going above the call of duty Kudos

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