Ending Federal Contracts with Private Prisons is a Good First Step

Statement from DeAnna Hoskins, President / CEO of JustLeadershipUSA

NEW YORK — On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday to end Department of Justice contracts with private prisons, a move that returns the Justice Department to the same position it held four years ago, at the end of the Obama administration.

JustLeadershipUSA President and CEO DeAnna Hoskins issued the following statement in response:

“Ending the federal government’’s relationship with for-profit prisons is a step in the right direction, but it is just a step. The private prison industry has played an outsized role in the demonization and humiliation of disproportionately Black and brown people, and reminds us of our history of profiting from the bodies of marginalized people.

“We are encouraged to see the Biden administration end the Department of Justice’s reliance on this industry, and hope that this will signal a renewed emphasis on the part of state and federal legislators to decarcerate the United States, and uplift our common values of human dignity and respect for all people.

“But, let’s be clear: While we applaud President Biden’s stated commitment to racial equity, we also know that bold change is only possible when the voices, experience and expertise of directly impacted people are included in ALL discussions.”