A terrifying look into the USA's for-profit prison system - and how Canadians could be detained for the benefit of corporate shareholders.
Who needs due process when there's money to be made?
A terrifying look into the USA's for-profit prison system - and how Canadians could be detained for the benefit of corporate shareholders.
Canadian entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney was detained by ICE for two weeks while trying to process her work visa. No phone calls. No explanations. She was kept in freezing cells with aluminum foil blankets and 24/7 lighting.
"I had a Canadian passport, lawyers, resources, media attention, friends, family and even politicians advocating for me. Yet, I was still detained for nearly two weeks."
If Canadian businesses needed a reason to reconsider sending employees to the US, this is it. The risk isn't theoretical - it's happening now. What makes this particularly concerning for businesses:
>> She had an approved work visa
>> Had previously traveled to the US without issue
>> Was detained without warning or explanation
>> Even with extensive resources behind her, still spent two weeks in detention
Trump’s return in 2024 wasn’t just a political earthquake — it was a stock market sugar rush for private prison companies. On November 6, 2024, the day after the election, GEO Group’s stock skyrocketed by 35%, while CoreCivic jumped 27%. Investors were betting big on mass deportations, immigration raids, and increased detention — and private prison execs were all smiles on earnings calls. GEO even called the anticipated policy shift “unprecedented.”
These companies aren’t just passive beneficiaries - they’re players. In early 2024, GEO Group maxed out donations to Trump’s campaign and funneled $500,000 to a pro-Trump Super PAC. In the same year, they and CoreCivic spent over $3 million combined on lobbying, pushing for policies that turn people into “revenue units.”
This is all the more reason that Canada's approach to justice must remain driven by rehabilitation, not revenue. When corporations profit from imprisonment, people become commodities - and the system inevitably hungers for more "customers."
South of the border, we’re watching what happens when corporations profit from incarceration: people become inventory, and the system becomes addicted to its own expansion. In 2024 alone, private prison giants like GEO Group and CoreCivic raked in over $1.3 billion from ICE contracts, spent millions on lobbying, and rewarded the promise of mass detention with soaring stock prices.
If Canada wants to avoid this dystopia, we must recognize the stakes - and reject any version of justice where freedom becomes a bargaining chip.
This is a must-read from Jasmine Mooney in The Guardian.
