WHAT IS THIS?

This is a long-term contract between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and The GEO Group, Inc., a private prison company, to run immigration or criminal detention facilities in the San Diego area. GEO Group will be paid to house, supervise, and provide basic services to detainees on behalf of the federal government.

WHY WAS THIS FUNDED?

The federal government has legal authority and responsibility to detain individuals who are awaiting immigration proceedings or criminal sentencing. This contract allows the DOJ to use a private company to fulfill that obligation rather than building and operating its own facility.

WHAT PUBLIC PROBLEM IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?

The federal government needs secure places to hold people who are detained while awaiting immigration hearings or criminal proceedings. Without enough detention space, the government cannot carry out court orders or enforce immigration and criminal law.

WHO BENEFITS?

People directly employed by GEO Group at the San Diego facility benefit through jobs and wages. The federal government benefits by having contracted detention capacity in a high-demand border region without managing the facility itself.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Private detention contracts can face concerns about oversight, quality of care, and whether profit motives affect how detainees are treated. Long contract periods, such as this one spanning over 20 years, can also limit the government's flexibility to change course or renegotiate terms.

WHAT HAPPENS IF FUNDING IS REMOVED?

If this contract were cancelled, the federal government would need to quickly find alternative detention space in the San Diego region, which could disrupt ongoing legal proceedings and potentially require releasing some detainees who would otherwise be held.

ARGUMENTS FOR

• •Private contractors like GEO Group may be able to run detention facilities at a lower cost to taxpayers than government-operated facilities.
• •Using a contractor gives the government flexibility to scale detention capacity up or down based on need without building new federal infrastructure.
• •The San Diego region is a high-traffic border area, and having local detention capacity helps the DOJ and immigration courts process cases more efficiently.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST

• •Critics argue that privately run detention facilities have financial incentives to cut costs in ways that can harm detainee health, safety, and legal rights.
• •A contract lasting more than 20 years locks the government into one provider for a very long time, reducing competition and the ability to hold the company accountable.
• •Some policy advocates argue that the government should not profit-driven companies to manage the detention of human beings, regardless of cost savings.