ColumbiaPrisonDivest

columbiaprisondivest@gmail.com
February1st,2015

ColumbiaPrisonDivestProposalforDivestment

1.ColumbiashouldimmediatelydivestallsharesfromCCAandG4S,andprovideapublicstatement
confirmingitsdivestmentfromthesecorporations.WewantColumbiatoadoptapermanentnegative
screenforCCA,G4S,andtheGEOGroup(thesecondlargestprivateprisoncompanyintheU.S.)to
confirmthatColumbiawillnotinvestinthesecompaniesinthefuture.

2.Columbiashouldpubliclycommunicatetheurgencyofprisondivestmenttoitspeerinstitutions,
insistingthattheytoodivestfromCCA,GEOGroup,andG4S.1

3.WewantgreatertransparencyregardingColumbiasinvestments.ThecompletelistofColumbias
financialholdingsshouldbemadeavailabletotheColumbiacommunityatlargetoensurea
meaningfulstructureofaccountabilityandtransparency.

UrgencyofDivestment

Inthetimethathaselapsedsincewefirstbroughtthisissuetotheschoolsattention,these
companieshavebuiltandopenednewfacilities,includingmostrecentlytheCCAsSouthTexas
FamilyResidentialCenter,thelargestimmigrantdetentionfacilityintheUnitedStates.Everyday,
thesecompaniesengageinpracticesthatenactviolenceuponmarginalizedcommunities,bothherein
theUnitedStatesandacrosstheworld.Manystudentsonthiscampuscomefromthesecommunities
andColumbiasinvestmentintheincarcerationandcriminalizationofourlovedoneseffectively
communicatestousthatthefundamentaldignityandworth2ofourcommunitiesisnotapriorityfor
Columbia.AsProfessorBrettDignamstatedattheCommunityEngagementPanel,herexperiencesas
aneducatorhaveshownherthatColumbiasinvestmentinthesecompanieshasanimmeasurable
impactonitsstudents,particularlyitsstudentsofcolor.Asstudentsdisturbedbytheinconsistencies
betweenColumbiasrhetoricanditspractice,wecannotoveremphasizetheurgencyofourdemandsfor
immediatedivestmentfromtheprivateprisonindustry.

ACSRICriteriaforDivestment

1. InstitutionalConsensus

ThereisaclearinstitutionalconsensusthatCCA,GEOGroup,andG4Saremorally
reprehensiblecompaniesanditisthereforeunacceptableforColumbia'sendowmenttobeinvestedin
them
.Atotalof971students,faculty,andalumnifromacrosstheuniversityhavesignedapetitionfor
referendum,demonstratingtheirsupportforaballotinitiativecallingontheuniversitytodivest3 .Our
change.orgpetitiongarnered1,303signaturesinsupportofprisondivestmentatColumbia4.Supporters
1

ThepeerinstitutionswerefertoincludebutarenotlimitedtothoselistedinAppendixE.
ColumbiaUniversityStatementonEqualOpportunityandAffirmativeAction.
http://eoaa.columbia.edu/affirmative%20action
3

SeeAppendixB
4

https://www.change.org/p/leecbollingerdivestfromtheprivateprisonindustry
2

filledtheroombeyondcapacityfortheCommunityEngagementPanelandvoicedthecampus
communitysstrongbeliefintheabsolutenecessityandurgencyofdivestment.Asonestudentstated,
aftersittingthroughthedivestmentpanel,IwasunabletohearasinglereasonastowhyColumbia
wouldwanttocontinueinvestinginaninstitutionthatprofitsfromhumancaptivity,yetIheardaccount
afteraccounthighlightingthepersonalpainthatcomesfromColumbia'ssupportoftheindustry5 .The
thousandsofstudentsthatColumbiaPrisonDivesthasinteractedwithatvariousteachins,educational
events,andralliesroutinelyexpressdisbeliefthatColumbiacontinuestoholdinvestmentsin
companiessocontradictorytothisuniversitysstatedvalues.

2.MeritsofDisputeLieClearlyonOneSide

Thereisnoquestionthatprivateprisonsaremorallyandsociallyirresponsibleinvestments,and
thatdivestmentfromCCAandG4SaswellasanegativescreenforGEOGroupistheonlysuitable
option.DivestmentfromCCAandG4Sisnecessaryfortwoprimaryreasons.Firstly,CCAandG4S
haveexploitedandexpandedmassincarcerationwithintheUnitedStatesaswellastheglobaltrendof
incarcerationandpolicingofpeopleofcolor.Secondly,divestmentfromthesecompaniesisnecessary
duetothesystematichumanrightsabusesthathaveoccurredwithinCCAandG4Sfacilitiesandwill
continueinthefuture,becausetheaimsofthesecompaniesistogainprofitregardlessofhumancost.

Wecannotmeaningfullyengagetheissueofmassincarcerationwithoutacknowledgingits
basisinracism.CCAandG4Scontinuetoprofitoffofpracticesthatincarcerateincreasingnumbersof
blackandbrownpeopleforlongerperiodsoftime,infacilitieswithhorrifichumanrightstrackrecords.
Someofthespecificpracticeswhichhavebeenfoundtodisproportionatelytargetblackandbrown
peopleincludebutarenotlimitedto:mandatoryminimumsentencing,3strikeslaws,andArizonas
SB10706 .ChristopherPetrella,oneofthepanelistsattheCommunityEngagementPanel,didastudyin
2013inwhichhefoundthattherewasadisproportionatenumberofpeopleofcolorinprivateprison
facilitiesascomparedtothenumberofpeopleofcolorinpublicprisonfacilities7.Thestudyilluminates
howprisonersdeemedlessworthyofcomprehensivemedicalcarearefunneledintoprivatefacilitiesas
acostsavingmechanism,evisceratingtheargumentthatprivateprisonsareafiscallyresponsible
optionforlocalgovernments.Ultimately,privateprisoncompaniesaremoreinterestedinfillingtheir
facilitiesandcuttingcoststhantheyareincrimereduction,safety,oraddressingtheracialdisparities
thattheyexploittomaximizeprofits.AshasbeenrepeatedlyarticulatedbyPresidentBollinger
throughouthiscareerandinarecentemailtotheColumbiacommunity,thiscountrycontinuestodeal
withthelegaciesofgenerationsofinstitutionalracismfromslavery,toJimCrow,toourcurrentera
ofprofitdrivenhyperincarceration.Itisourresponsibilityasaneliteresearchuniversityto
meaningfullyaddressprivateprisoncompaniesasoneofmanyinstrumentsbeingusedtoreinforce
pervadingracialinequalitiestoday.

Preferencingprofitmaximizationoverhumansafetyandwellbeing,privateprisonscutcosts
whereverpossible,operatingfacilitiesinwhichhumanrightsabusesarerampant.Fraughtwith
extremeviolenceandabusebyguards,inadequatelytrainedstaff,inhumaneconditions,anddenialof
medicalcare,conditionsinCCAandG4Sprisonsviolatenonderogableinternationalhumanrights
law.Despitetheoverwhelmingnumberandnatureofabusesdocumentedinthesefacilitiesandthe
numerouslawsuitsthathavebeenfiledagainstthem,thesecompanieshavefailedtoimplement
5

SeeAppendixC
SeeAppendixA
7
SeeAppendixJ
6

substantivechanges,revealingthathumanrightsviolationsarefundamentallyendemictotheprivate
prisonmodel.Suchsystematicabuseswillcontinuetohappeninthefutureaslongasthesecompanies
exist.

Profitingoffoftheincarcerationandpolicingofcommunitiesofcolorlocallyandgloballyis
morallyreprehensible.LikeCCA,G4Sisacompanyresponsibleforconstructingalandscapeof
discriminatoryincarcerationanddetention,andracialinequality,incountlesscountries,fromtheUKto
Palestine8 .PartofsocialresponsibilityisacknowledgingthatwhatColumbiainvestsinasaleading
Americanuniversityandthepracticesthatitendorseshaveramificationsthatarealsofeltbypeople
abroad,infardifferentcircumstancesthanourown.ColumbiasinvestmentinG4Sisaninvestmentin
theviolationofthebasichumanrightsofpeopleofcoloracrosstheworld.Whilewecontinuetohold
thisinvestmentwecannotcontinuetohonestlycallourselvesaglobaluniversity,speakaboutglobal
citizenship,oruseourinternationalstudentstoboastdiversity.

3.Engagementvs.Divestment

Privateprisonsarefundamentallysociallyirresponsible.Companiesshouldnotprofitoffof
maximizingincarcerationanddetention,anduniversitiesshouldnotprofitoffofincarcerationand
detentionbyvirtueofinvestinginsuchcompanies.Thisiswhydivestmentisnecessarythereisno
wayofreformingasystemwhosemodelreliesontheviolationofhumanrightsandtheperpetuationof
racialinequality.Communicationandengagementwithcompanymanagementhaveproventobean
ineffectivestrategyforaddressingtheunethicalpracticesandnatureofbothCCAandG4S.Asboth
ChristopherPetrellaandJudithGreeneexplainedattheCommunityEngagementPanel,therehave
beenmultipleattemptstoengagewithCCAsmanagementinordertobringaboutreformand
transparency9.In2007,aproposalputforwardbyacoalitionofreligiousgroupsinvestedinCCA
wouldhaverequiredanaccountingofourCompanysfundsthatareusedforpoliticalcontributionsor
expendituresanddisclosureoftheinternalguidelinesorpolicies,ifany,governingourcompanys
politicalcontributionsandexpenditures.10CCAsBoardofDirectorsunanimouslyrecommendedthat
stockholdersrejecttheproposal,andthemeasurewasvoteddown.CCAsBoardhascontinuedto
opposesimilarproposalsbroughtforwardbyitsownshareholders.Moreover,privateprisoncompanies
cannotbereformedbecausetheirstructureispremisedonafundamentallyunethicalbusinessmodel:
makingfinancialgainsfromsystemsofpolicingandincarcerationsthattargetpeopleofcolor,poor
people,undocumentedpeople,andLGBTQpeople.Theforprofitprisonindustry,asexemplifiedby
CCAandG4S,isanindustrywhichprioritizesprofitoverpeopleandnoamountofreformcanchange
that.

ManyinstitutionshavedivestedfromG4Sonthebasisoftheirwelldocumentedandegregious
humanrightsviolationsalone.
In2014,Durham,NorthCarolina,becamethefirstU.S.municipalityto
boycottG4SafteraninterfaithcoalitionwrotetotheDurhamCountyCommissionersandover200
residentscreatedavisualpetitionhighlightingG4S'sinvolvementinIsrael'sdiscriminatorydetention
andincarcerationpractices
.11 Similarly,theUniversityofKent12,DundeeUniversity13,KingsCollege
8

SeeAppendixKandL
SeeAppendixD
10
SeeAppendixF
11

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/11/droppingcontractoccupation
12

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2014/ukstudentuniontocancelg4scontractoverroleinisraeliprisons11827
13

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2013/dundeeuniversitystudentsassociationvotestocuttieswithg4s10705
9

London14,EdinburghUniversity15,SouthamptonUniversity16,UniversityofBergen17,andUniversityof
Oslo18,havealldivestedfromorformallycuttieswithG4S.SevenofthenineUniversityofCalifornia
undergraduatecampuseshavepasseddivestmentresolutionsinstudentgovernmentsUCIrvine,UC
SanDiego,UCRiverside,UCBerkeley,UCSantaCruz,UCLosAngeles,andmostrecentlyUCDavis
19
.In2012theEuropeanUniondeclinedtorenewitscontractwithG4S20 andtheIrishgovernmentdid
thesameinOctober2014.21InDecember2013Abvakabo,atradeunionintheNetherlandscomposed
ofover350,000members,chosetoterminateitscontractwithG4SforitsroleinIsraelsviolationsof
internationallaw22.Similarly,theTraumaCentre,ahumanrightsorganizationthatwasintegralto
SouthAfricasTruthandReconciliationCommissionandsupportedbythelikesofArchbishop
DesmondTutu,terminateditscontractandtieswithG4Sin2013,saying,t
heTraumaCentreis
committedtocreatingasocietyfreefromviolenceandtortureandcommittedtoacultureofhuman
rightswethereforenotewithgreatconcerntheseriousallegationsleveledagainstthesecurity
companyG4SofcomplicityintheillegalincarcerationandtortureofPalestiniansinIsraelandthe
OccupiedPalestinianTerritories. 23

AfterdecidingtofullydivestfromCCAandtheGEOGroup,HughWalsh,thepresidentof
AmicaMutualInsuranceDSMNorthAmericasaid,Inaccordancewith[U.N.]principleswith
respecttotheprotectionofinternationallyproclaimedhumanrights,the[DSMNetherlands]pension
fundhasdivestedfromtheforprofitprisonindustry24.Manycompanieshavefollowedsuitin
committingtoprisondivestment,includingPershingSquareCapitalManagement,whichfullydivested
itsCCAholdingsofover7millionsharesin201125,thePodestagroup,whichdroppedGEOGroupasa
clientin201226 ,andtheAllianzAssetManagementandSystematicFinancialManagementLP,eachof
whichfullydivestedtheirover1millionsharesofstockinCCAandGEOGroupin201327.Others
havemadesimilarstances,includingWellsFargoandCompanyanditssubsidiaries,whichdivested
80%ofitsaggregateholdingsintheGEOGroup,andScopiaCapitalManagement28,whichdivested
$60millionofitssharesinCCAandtheGEOGroupin201429.
14

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2013/1180411804

http://edinburghnapiernews.com/2013/11/20/boycottcampaignssendg4soffcampus/
16

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2013/1180411804
17

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/michaeldeas/secondnorwegianuniversitydropsg4soversupportisraeliapartheid
18

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/michaeldeas/secondnorwegianuniversitydropsg4soversupportisraeliapartheid
19

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/norabarrowsfriedman/ucdavispassesdivestmentresolutionfiveothercampaignsl
aunched
20

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2012/g4slosesitscontractwiththeeuropeanparliament8901
21

http://www.ipsc.ie/pressreleases/palestinecampaignerscelebrateexclusionofoccupationprofiteerg4sfromgovern
mentcontract
22

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2013/dutchuniondumpsg4saidingisraelshumanrightsabuses11506
23

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2013/satraumacentreterminatesg4scontract11413
24

http://www.mintpressnews.com/awinforcivilsocietyascorporationsdivestfromprivateprisonindustry/190258/
25

http://inthesetimes.com/article/11623/divesting_from_private_prisons
26

https://prisondivestment.wordpress.com/home/campaignvictories/
27
ibid

28

https://prisondivestment.wordpress.com/home/campaignvictories/
29

http://colorofchange.org/press/releases/2014/4/23/majorcorporationsdivestnearly60mprivatepriso/
15

InhisemailtothestudentbodyonMartinLutherKingJr.Day,PresidentBollingerasked,
Now,thequestionforagreatresearchuniversitylikeColumbia,whosestudents,faculty,andalumni
havelongplayedsuchmonumentalrolesinthequestforcivilandhumanrightsandsocialjustice,is:
whatcanwedointhewaysofresearch,teaching,andpublicunderstandingtocontributetothe
fundamentalchangesthatstillmustoccurifournationisfinallytotranscendthepastandliveuptoits
foundingprinciples?
Thereisnosingularanswertothisquestion.WhileColumbiasstudents,faculty,
andalumnidohaveahistoryofworkingtowardsequality,asauniversitywealsohaveatroubling
historyofsocialirresponsibilityandcomplicityintheoppressionofmarginalizedpeople,whichwe
cannotbegintorectifywithoutdivestingfromtheforprofitprisonindustry.Divestingfromprivate
prisoncompaniesisonewayColumbiacanmanifestitscommitmenttothepursuitofcivilandhuman
rightsandsocialjustice.

TheColumbiaPrisonDivestCampaign

ThisproposalwascompiledbythefollowingColumbiaPrisonDiveststudentorganizers:
BryantBrown,CC15
TessDombSadof,CC16
EllaEveryWortman,CC16
JesseFerrell,CC16
OladunniOduyemi,CC16
GabrielaCatalinaPelsinger,CC15
AshaRansbySporn,CC16