New Mexico Regional Info - Private Prison Money's Effect There

Here is the info on the upcoming New Mexico Regional Seminar on Direct Exam:

When: Sept. 28-Oct. 1.
How Much: Room, board and materials for $1,375. (20.5 CLE hours including 2 hours for Ethics in most states.
Where: Glorietta Conference Center in Glorietta, New Mexico, outside of Santa Fe.

Gerry will be in attendance as will Katlin, Don and Joshua K.

On the subject of New Mexico, "While [its] landscape may make the state the Land of Enchantment, its rapidly growing rates of incarceration have been utterly disenchanting. What’s worse, New Mexico is at the top of the nation’s list for privatizing prisons; nearly one-half of the state’s prisons and jails are run by corporations." This according to this article from today's In These Times. The article continues...

The key shift [of private corrections companies] is that “the prison industry has gone from a we-can-save-you-money pitch to an economic-development model pitch.” In other words... “you need [their] prisons for jobs.” If political donations are any measure, economically challenged and poverty-stricken states like New Mexico are a great target.

Here is a link to an L.A. Times series about a topic close to my heart, Public Defenders.

And here is a link to a NYTimes piece on Bush's acknowledgement of CIA "black site" secret prisons.