The three primary donors are Corrections Corporation of America, the GEO Inc, and Avalon Correctional Services, Inc.
The largest among the three is CCA, which operates three private prisons in the state.
With
the state corrections department searching for more bed space to house a
record number of inmates, it’s apparent the clout these companies carry
is about to increase.
Contracting with these firms appears to be a necessary evil, yet a profitable one for political candidates.
The
good guv has received $38,250 for her re-election bid through Sept. 30 (since 2002)
and Shannon has received $35,950 for his campaign and a fund that pays
for the annual Speaker’s Ball, according to a Tulsa World investigation.
The newspaper reported the private prison industry has spent more than $400,000 on Oklahoma politicians since 2004.
This article appears in Jan 8-14, 2014.