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Elizabeth Warren's plan to ban private prisons

In this image, Warren sits on a white sofa and speaks while gesturing.
Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

2020 Democratic candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) released a policy proposal to ban private prisons and detention facilities on Friday.

The big picture: Top 2020 Democrats are laying out detailed policy proposals on criminal justice reform, often attributing the issue to institutional racism and the War on Drugs.

  • Some of Warren's 2020 opponents, notably Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, also want to end "private for-profit prisons."

Details on Warren's proposal:

  • Abolish "all contracts that the Bureau of Prisons, ICE, and the U.S. Marshals Service have with private detention providers."
  • Make private prisons subject to FOIA, and potentially make them subject to state open records laws.
  • Prevent companies from "charging for re-entry, supervision, and probation services."

What she's saying: "This is exploitation, plain and simple. Our criminal and immigration systems are tearing apart communities of color and devastating the poor, including children. Women  —  especially women of color  —  are particularly saddled with the financial burden."

Go deeper: Elizabeth Warren on the issues, in under 500 words

Elizabeth Warren