February 7, 2020

Last night, in a Town Hall hosted by CNN, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg stated that when he is elected president, “there will be no such thing as a for-profit detention facility for children.”

“When I’m president, there will be no such thing as a for-profit detention facility for children.”
– Pete Buttigieg, CNN Town Hall, February 6, 2020
**Watch video here**

FACT CHECK:

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the federal agency responsible for the care of unaccompanied minors, and all but one of the HHS contractors housing children are non-profit organizations, rather than for-profit companies.
• None of the large private sector contractors in corrections and immigration detention have ever had contracts with HHS to operate facilities housing unaccompanied minors – that includes the founding members of the Day 1 Alliance: CoreCivic, The GEO Group, and Management & Training Corporation.
• By contrast, contractors such as CoreCivic and The GEO Group actually worked with the Obama Administration to establish and operate facilities specifically designed for migrant parents and their children to be cared for together, with health care, legal support, and education services provided.

COMMENT FROM THE DAY 1 ALLIANCE:

“Mayor Buttigieg is obviously entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts. And the fact is that the largest private sector contractors in corrections and immigration have NEVER housed unaccompanied minors. By contrast, contractors like CoreCivic and The GEO Group worked with the Obama Administration during the last migrant surge to quickly establish facilities specifically outfitted for migrant mothers and their children to be housed together in a respectful, humane manner. We are very proud of this work, which exemplifies the unique role contractors can play, providing our government partners with flexible options to address shifting immigration flows and policy changes in a cost-effective manner for taxpayers.

“It is deeply unfortunate that some have continued to spread myths about an industry that has partnered with Democratic and Republican administrations for more than 35 years.” – Alexandra Wilkes, Day 1 Alliance National Spokesperson

ABOUT THE DAY 1 ALLIANCE:

The Day 1 Alliance (D1A) is a trade association representing private sector contractors helping address corrections and detention challenges in the United States. For more than 35 years, D1A members have worked with local, state, and federal governments led by members of both political parties to provide professional, humane, and respectful treatment to incarcerated and detained individuals. From day one, we understand we have a responsibility to provide safe and dignified care to those in our facilities. D1A members do not lobby for or against policies, regulations, or legislation that impact the basis for or duration of an individual’s incarceration or detention.

The founding members of the Day 1 Alliance are CoreCivic, The GEO Group, and Management & Training Corporation.

Learn more at day1alliance.org and follow us on Twitter @TheDay1Alliance.

Media inquiries:
contact@day1alliance.org

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