#GivingTuesday is our chance to create a national day of giving. It kicks off the giving season every year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Today is the second annual #GivingTuesday, and we hope you will count Grassroots Leadership and our mission to stop prison profiteering among your favorite causes.  Read more about Join the Fight Against Private Prisons this #GivingTuesday

In October we caught wind that West Virginia Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein is looking to transfer and house up to 400 prisoners out-of-state in attempts to alleviate prison overcrowding at home.  

According to the West Virginia Gazette, representatives from two private prison companies — Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and Community Education Centers (CEC) — attended a mandatory pre-bid conference and were able to submit bids for the contract on November 5th.  The conference was open to other state departments interested in bidding on the deal, but only the two private contractors attended to express interest.  The opening of those bids has been postponed twice. They are now set for December 5th.    

It's Throwback Thursday at Grassroots Leadership and we are looking back at the successful campaign to stop immigrant family detention.  Read more about #TBT Si Kahn Performs Outside the Hutto Detention Center

A few days ago, Grassroots Leadership received word that Florida-based GEO Group will continue its less-than-fabulous track record with the recent purchase of the Montgomery County Mental Health Facility (MCMHF) near Houston, Texas. While GEO has been operating the facility since 2011, it was owned by the state (?).  Read more about Humpday Hall of Shame: Texas County to sell Mental Health Facility to GEO