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CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is one of the largest corrections companies in the United States. Having secured its first federal contract in 1983, it has since acquired contracts nationwide to manage state prisons and build its own facilities. CoreCivic reported $1.91 billion in revenue at the end of 2020.
CoreCivic operates more than 70 correctional and detention facilities, of which 12 are primarily contracted by ICE. In 2019 ICE accounted for 29% of CoreCivic’s business.
The individual contracts awarded to CoreCivic for detention centers can be massive. In the summer of 2016, the Obama administration awarded CoreCivic a $1 billion deal to build and operate a detention facility for women and children seeking asylum primarily from Central America. CoreCivic was also awarded a nearly $2.1 billion five-year contract with ICE to operate a San Diego detention facility in 2019.
ICE detention centers contracted with CoreCivic have faced multiple allegations of civil rights abuses, including providing inadequate mental health care, guards abusing detainees who ask for medical care, and guards using pepper spray on detainees protesting a lack of adequate coronavirus precautions.
Also read: Pro-Bono Lawyers And Free Legal Immigration Services in New York
