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Sanders says Trump has 'opened the floodgates' for private prisons to profit

President Trump has promised a crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, meaning more prisons are needed quick.

Democrats Medicare AP / Manuel Balce Ceneta AP / Manuel Balce Ceneta / Manuel Balce Ceneta

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS has slammed the use of private prisons for federal inmates, which was reinstated by the White House yesterday.

Senator Sanders, who ran for election as a Democrat in the 2016 election, said that the move meant private prisons were now able to make “huge profits by building more prisons and keeping even more Americans in jail”.

He also said that private prisons in America needed to go: “Corporations should not be profiting by incarcerating our fellow Americans.”

President Donald Trump’s administration saying commercial prison operators are needed for the correctional system’s “future needs.”

Trump’s new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, officially rescinded the Barack Obama administration’s move last August to phase out the management of prisons by private companies, which Obama’s justice department had said proved to be inadequate, more dangerous and not cheaper than government-run prisons.

Sessions said in an order that the move last year had reversed a longstanding policy at the Federal Bureau of Prisons to have private companies involved, “and impaired the bureau’s ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system.”

The Obama move had only affected a small portion of the US prison system: 13 privately run prisons housing just over 22,000 people, or about 11% of the federal prison population.

Most are foreign nationals, mainly Mexicans incarcerated for immigration violations.

The Trump government has promised a crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, suggesting the prisons bureau could require greater holding capacity in a short timeframe.

The 13 prisons are run by three companies: CoreCivic (known until recently as Corrections Corporation of America), GEO Group and Management and Training Corporation.

The announcement gave a strong after-hours boost to the stock of the two listed firms. Core Civic jumped 3.2%, while GEO Group added 1%.

The move was expected and both companies’ stocks had already risen sharply after Trump’s election victory on 8 November.

With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha

- © AFP, 2017

Read: Caitlyn Jenner’s message to Donald Trump over LGBTQ rights: ‘Call me’

Read: ‘Neither confrontation nor submission’: Trump’s top diplomat in Mexico to calm tensions

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    Mute JoeJoe Kilbride
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    May 18th 2025, 3:30 PM

    Seems like the only ones the government feels responsible to is this Lowry group and not the general public

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    May 18th 2025, 7:17 PM

    @JoeJoe Kilbride: Elected politicians are supposed to interact. This is another case of the news media trying to create distrust of politicians as trust in the media is fast declining. They foster angst when normal essential political activity is boringly getting on with the job.

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    Mute JoeJoe Kilbride
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    May 18th 2025, 8:10 PM

    @thomas molloy: it would appear that this small group has greater access to cabinet members than their own colleagues on the backbenches.

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    Mute James Leahy
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    May 18th 2025, 3:30 PM

    The innocent face of that Troy lad .Must be a wonderful feeling to own all those properties in the midst of a housing crisis.

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    Mute James Leahy
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    May 18th 2025, 3:35 PM

    @John doe: doh! No.

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    Mute Joe Beirne
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    May 18th 2025, 3:36 PM

    @John doe: You should try it

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    Mute Jack Hayes
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    May 18th 2025, 3:42 PM

    @John doe: You can’t rent the space under bridges, pīg troll.

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    Mute Joe Beirne
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    May 18th 2025, 3:43 PM

    @John doe: You can prove nothing, you’re one of life’s wasters.

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    May 18th 2025, 3:55 PM

    @James Leahy: Thought he had done the honourable thing and resigned a few years ago.

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    May 18th 2025, 3:56 PM

    @James Leahy: And I see the migration minister is unaware as well…. are these lads up to speed at all.

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    Mute Joe Beirne
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    May 18th 2025, 4:22 PM

    @John doe: Thought that was your level of intelligence alright

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    Mute Tired Jim
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    May 18th 2025, 4:22 PM

    @John doe: indeed, investing in several properties is a wise career move

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    May 18th 2025, 4:24 PM

    @Joe Beirne: I’d say he hasn’t got a pit to p155 in

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    Mute Joe Beirne
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    May 18th 2025, 5:01 PM

    @Jb Walshe: To be fair, the journal facilitated it cos it encourages engagement however negative. I’m all for a bit of craic and healthy debate but this lad or whatever he is should be permanently banned.

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    May 19th 2025, 4:48 AM

    @John doe: because you have a iq equal to your backside temperature.

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    Mute micheal gilsenan
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    May 18th 2025, 3:32 PM

    a proven corrupt political talking about corruption. only in Ireland

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    May 18th 2025, 3:42 PM

    @micheal gilsenan: Expecting straight dealing from that shower of shysters, is the triumph of hope over experience!

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    Mute JoeJoe Kilbride
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    May 18th 2025, 3:42 PM

    @micheal gilsenan: no, not only Ireland, look at the states, corruption at a far grander scale than could ever happen here

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    Mute Brian D'Arcy
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    May 18th 2025, 3:35 PM

    Anyone with half a brain knew that as they signed up to a pact with Fibe Garl and Fianna Fáil that they’d have access to ministers which highlights the undemocratic process to cut opposition speaking time, backed by people who saud most other countries allow government politicians to ask questions, I’d suggest look at Westminster and seeing the complete waste of time that us, turning into a nothing but a free for all. Martin and Harris have attempting to destroy democracy on their C.V’s along with their other litany of failures.

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    May 18th 2025, 4:40 PM

    @Brian D’Arcy: It’s the death Nnell for independentants anyway …can’t be trusted anymore.

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    Mute Padraig O'Brien
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    May 18th 2025, 4:29 PM

    Sure a man that doesn’t know he owns houses wouldn’t know anything!

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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    May 18th 2025, 4:09 PM

    A joke

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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    May 18th 2025, 5:23 PM

    Ff are a joke their bank ruptured the country

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    May 18th 2025, 6:33 PM

    @Paul Byrne: Do you think they actually giant fcuk

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    Mute Tracy Reddy
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    May 18th 2025, 3:49 PM

    How do all men stand by and allow total corruption? Gen X seem to be the only ones capable in this country and the rest of you are just a complete waste of space.

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    Mute Tracy Reddy
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    May 18th 2025, 9:36 PM

    @H Woo: Pull the other one it’s got bells on it

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    Mute J Ven
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    May 18th 2025, 4:03 PM

    Why are the comments for the City Weat Hotel closed? I know for a fact because i met people living there that they pay for a family of two children, an accommodated apartment with gym, swimming pool, all amenities for a five stars golf hotel that’s the city west for only €650 per month, they also work full time and get subsidised childcare, more than anyone would get. Where is the fairness in this? Refugee? That’s a five stars hotel turn to apartments and they get more disposable income than the rest of us. That’s why people are protesting.

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    Mute JoeJoe Kilbride
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    May 18th 2025, 8:34 PM

    @The Truth: always the lies to try to justify your agenda of hate

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    Mute Mary Wright
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    May 18th 2025, 7:41 PM

    Lowry will take down this Govt. He’ll bide his time. And make sure it happens. For his own satisfaction. He does not care about a single other person or entity except himself.

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    Mute Andrew Kenny
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    May 18th 2025, 6:56 PM

    Lowry is a corrupt wart.

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 18th 2025, 8:28 PM

    Of course Lowry and co have access to Ministers – Lowry and Co ARE the government. This story’s narrative is to gaslight us into thinking they’re some kind of opposition.

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    May 18th 2025, 8:09 PM

    Minister unaware…..hardly surprising news with the batch of incompetent fake politicians that we are unlucky enough to have to suffer

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    Mute Tired Jim
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    May 18th 2025, 4:23 PM

    Michael Lowry is awesome

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    Mute Matthew Gorman
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    May 18th 2025, 8:10 PM

    Up tipp.

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    Mute micheal duff
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    May 19th 2025, 1:27 AM

    Troy/Lowry dowery

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