The Pima County Board of Supervisors passed on Tuesday an historic resolution against contracting with private, for-profit prison management companies like CoreCivic to run the county jail.
The leadership of Pima County cited the well-being and safety of inmates in a 3-2 vote in support of the resolution.
Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, who voted to support the measure, said, “There are bad results. There are bad outcomes from having our jail systems and ultimately some of our public safety operations being controlled by a for-profit business.”
Elias said the resolution sends a strong message that Pima County values its people and the integrity of local government over promises of cheaper jails. “We have to remember that people who are in county jail are essentially chattel to the county" he said. "We have to protect their health. We have to protect their rights. It’s very difficult because these are people that are not popular with the rest of the public.”
Elias also iterated there were no members of the public who spoke in opposition to the resolution.
