Amid Rumored Prison Reform Push, State Senator Benjamin Calls on Jared Kushner to End Private Prison Contracts

HARLEM - In response to reports that White House advisor and President Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner will spearhead efforts to reform the country’s prison system, New York State Senator Brian A. Benjamin (D - Harlem), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions, released the following statement:

“Any reform to our nation’s prisons must start by ending the use of private, for-profit prisons. If Jared Kushner is serious about addressing the tremendous inequities of our criminal justice system, then he will stand up for the American people over the financial interests of wealthy donors, and direct the federal government to end the use of private prisons.

“New York has already forbidden the use of private prisons by the city and the state, but the federal government still utilizes private prisons in New York, including a controversial facility in Queens. I am proud to have introduced legislation that would divest the state public pensions from private prisons, so that our public pension money does not reward private prisons for perpetuating mass incarceration.”