I thought you quit.

For more information about the opposition campaign against CCA general counsel Gus Puryear, please visit: www.againstpuryear.org.

Incidentally, the campaign does not consider Puryear's nomination to have gone "belly up." The campaign continues, as his nomination is still pending.

Blah blah blah blah blah
Posted August 21, 2008 at 05:43:34 AM by Matt Pulle

Blah blah CCA blah Waller Lansden blah CCA. Blah Waller blah CCA. Blah Lansden blah blah blah. CCA blah Waller. Blah blah blah Waller Lansden blah CCA. Blah Waller blah CCA. Blah Lansden blah blah blah. CCA. Lansden Blah blah blah Waller Lansden blah CCA. Blah Waller blah CCA. Blah Lansden blah blah blah. CCABlah blah blah Waller Lansden

Yeah, stories about how a local prison company abused immigrants and their children get old real fast. It's not like all of them died.

Thanks, Matt, for one last blast (well taken, well supported) at CCA, which is in the business of making big profits by providing a government function (acting in OUR name) and being overpaid for it by our tax dollars. So lets see...mistreatment and brutality, running facilities cheaply and dangerously, underpaying guards, and getting away with it because of their huge political connections....
Doesn't sound like blah blah to me.

If we can tolerate this "thit on a thtick" a little longer, he'll soon take his act to another town. Meanwhile, it's got a little extra stank on it, as he's got nothing to lose here.

P.S. What is Alex Friedmann going to do without this huge parrot in town repeating everything he says?

P.P.S. Here's a tidbit for you all: those guys who claimed to have found the carcass of Bigfoot, and it turned out to be a rubber gorilla suit? You know one of them was a former corrections officer. If the guy was ex-CCA, maybe you can pin the whole fraud on Puryear. It's worth a shot, fellas!

P.P.P.S. And MP now speaks for the "local bar" - ? That's a real howler. Simply delusional!

Look at all the appeals to the authority of other pubs in the column...that's because MP has no authority, no credibility, of his own.

AF has cynically exploited this journo's soft mind, low standards, and taste for the attention of angry bloggers, which passes for a decidedly pathetic type of fame.

Actually, I refer twice to my own story. I just thought I'd lead off with the New Yorker, The New York Times and Time Magazine.

I'm still waiting to hear a defense of how CCA does business--- and if media outlets across the country have somehow fabricated a series of damning accounts about Nashville's wayward prison operator.

You need not reply to such "angry bloggers," Matt. They're fairly pathetic. Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one. It's nice that you provide a forum such as this where people can voice their views (even their criticisms of you and the Scene). But if they want their voices to be heard outside the online comments section of a weekly that they apparently have little respect for, they'll have to start their own damn newspaper.

Of course these angry bloggers dosn't provide any facts or relevant info themselves; they just bitch and complain, as small-minded little people do. Keep up the good work.

I don't want to minimize for a minute the immense suffering of those who live in prisons, whether publicly or privately run. But I have not seen any convincing evidence that CCA does a worse job than the public sector would do, or that they're "getting away" with anything, just a series of anecdotes about bad things that happen in CCA prisons.

If CCA really is a threat to public safety, show me the stats.

"freedom of the press belongs to those who own one"

thank you, thank you so much for that

"...The New Yorker, arguably the most respected magazine in the country,..."

Hah!

That one is a a real hoot!

Well, IndyVoter, if you are really concerned about the suffering of people in prisons, you'd do your own research instead of asking people to "show you" such information. Why would you trust anyone else -- shouldn't you look for yourself if you want to learn the truth?

Still, here's a start, since you're lazy:

http://www.privateci.org/reports.html

and

http://www.prisonpolicy.org/research.html#Prison_Privatization

The freedom of the press quote, BTW, was from A.J. Liebling. And it's absolutely true. The press determines what is news and what is not -- and of course the press is a for-profit business, too. Something to consider.

Ummm ... Gilbert?

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/index/2008asmenominations

Um what?

What some people in the magazine business think about some other people in the magazine business doesn't mean diddly squat.

Old A.J.? We are relying very much on the New Yorker today.

Perhaps in its original use, the sentiment had some semblance of wit about it. Quoted in earnest, it has the ring of fatuity. And when fatuity rings, I answer it!

Thanks for the links, BTW. I will continue to look for the clear evidence that private companies do a poorer job than the public sector - not simply evidence that running a prison is an inherently problematic enterprise.

Gilbert Martin said:
"...The New Yorker, arguably the most respected magazine in the country,..."

Hah!

That one is a a real hoot!

Posted 08/21/2008 at 12:18:06 PM

Well, as a qualifier he probably should have added that it is not respected by idiots.

I don't think I've ever made the argument that CCA does a worse job than federal, state or local authorities. And I wouldn't.

But when CCA screws up, no one really holds them accountable. When their warden was found to have beaten the shit out of an inmate, they didn't have to hold a press conference or explain when they knew what their warden had done. And that's just one example of many.

My favorite CCA story is when they wouldn't talk about whether an inmate who escaped from their Harding facility had been apprehended. They claimed that information was "confidential."

Do you think your local sheriff's department could get away with that?

As CCA's spokesperson, I'm taking aim at this blog. I know my company better than any reporter - inside and out. You can read my views at www.thecca360.com

Character assassination? Libel? Who, me? I'm just holding CCA accountable for a couple of screwups! No hard feelings, right guys?

Nobody has shown that there were any misrepresentations or material omissions in CCA's voluntary reports to their clients - the subject of the TIME magazine online "article" (never made the magazine - I wonder why), yet you have gone on record in saying that Gus Puryear oversaw a "fraudulent" reporting system. Libel, anyone?

Louise, can you explain why at CCA's Hutto facility, someone saw it fit to house mothers and children in a tiny cell next to an open toilet?

Or why prison guards woke up families at 5:30 in the morning?

Why did dozens of kids sign affidavits saying that guards threatened to take them away from their parents if they misbehaved?

Or why did some expectant mothers not receive prenatal care?

Or why did ICE say in one of its internal memos that CCA does not take its performance obligations seriously?

By the way, I hope my last post won't upset your little babies.

Ask them if they would have liked to spend their days at your Hutto facility.

"Well, as a qualifier he probably should have added that it is not respected by idiots."

Since you apparently do respect them, that would rule that out as a categorical statement.

The New Yorker is NOT the most respected magazine in the country and nothing YOU say proves otherwise! Nah nah nah nah nah!!

Wow, Matt, vindictive much?

Yeah. Hey, Matt, I'm gonna need you to gather your stuff and move all the way back down to floriduh, mmkay? Oh, and if you could just go ahead and use that can of hot air to dry out the state, that'd be just swell. Hey, whadaya know? My red stapler. Yeah, I'll just go ahead and take that back. Thanks a bunch, Matt.

I was wondering what the severence package for Matt was going to be. Can't wait to read the other severences from the rest of the Liz hangers-on in the upcoming days and weeks.

Then the is the story of my hearing impaired brother who was housed at Appleton (he called it Applehell) in a medical cell for 13 days without a shower or a change of clothes because Appleton didn't have an interpreter and didn't know what to do for his migraines. It got progressively worse until I contacted the MN Department of Corrections, spoke with their Director of Medical Services and reminder her of the ADA. He was transferred shortly (relatively speaking by prison standards) afterwards.

Matt,

You're just mad because everyone at CCA makes more than you. After all, print journalism is going down the tubes.

Wow. It's official, MP is a hater, not a player.

Hey Pulle,

You keep obsessing over CCA like that and they'll start charging you rent. If that happens, padlock your dumpsters 'cause the freaks come out at night.

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Louise Grant is a CCA vice president, and she pulls down over $100,000 a year plus stock benefits to try to make the company look good and refute "negative media."

Looks like you're being overpaid, Louise, judging from recent media coverage! The new CCA website is a neat PR move but that's all it is.

Grant is a corporate shill and I don't envy her job. When an inmate escapes, or is killed, or a riot happens, or a pregnant inmate is ignored by CCA guards and gives birth in her cell (as happened in Nashville), she has to put a big smiley face on it so shareholders don't get all jittery.

Louise -- with that big salary and stock options you're pulling down, try investing in a conscience. At least don't pretend you're impartial and are just trying to let people know "the facts." That's just being intellectually dishonest.

Hey Louise,

Who killed Estelle Richardson? If you don't know, then why don't you know? Why hasn't CCA done anything to find out who killed her? What about that "missing" videotape of her beat-down by CCA guards the day before she died? A woman's DEAD, and you're more interested in damage control? That's just cold.

Guys, we all know Gus Puryear killed Estelle Richardson after 9 holes on the scrubby Belle Meade golf course. Alex Friedmann and Matt Pulle settled this a long time ago. It's a good thing too, because a court of law couldn't decide who was responsible. Haven't you been following along AT ALL?

'Shill' - you sound a lot like a bitter old union rep I used to know. "Corporate schills! blah blah blah! Making money evil! blah blah blah! That crusty old commie was ten times more corrupt and intellectually vacuous than any "corporate shill" he despised.

'Sux' - I guess you'd like for Metro/Davidson Co. to privatize law enforcement and DA duties as well? Something tells me that won't sit well with your pal Shill.

IndyVoter said:
P.S. What is Alex Friedmann going to do without this huge parrot in town repeating everything he says?

Well, based on what somebody wrote elsewhere on a blog a few months ago---the answer is, he’ll likely happily trade the parrot in for a dog! Here’s a fun little assignment for you all:
1. Google the exact phrase “Alex Friedmann Stein919”
2. Now…Google the exact phrase “Stein919 beast”
3. Laugh. (Or shudder in revulsion)
4. Wait for the response that will say something like, “It’s a coincidence! There must be 2 Stein919s in the Nashville area! It’s not me! Ignore the dog behind the curtain!”
5. Laugh harder.
6. Make sure you get Fluffy in for the night, unless, of course, Fluffy is “human curious.”
7. In that case, stick Fluffy in a dumpster connected to property Mr. Puryear owns.

Louise Grant is a Shill- Show me where a pregnant inmate gave birth in her cell?? "(as happened in Nashville)" Your wish? The illegal immigrant, gave birth in a hospital. Yes, she was handcuffed before and after the birth, because she had an immigration hold on her, but did not give birth in her jail cell.

Hey Matt- Ever been in jail?
Well let me tell you NO jail cell has private toilets! Not even for illegals.
5:30 in the morning is the norm for breakfast- most non-inmates get up that early to go to WORK.
I wouldn't believe what a bunch of kids say, they were probably coached by their Mothers anyway.

Geesh, some people think prison should be a vacation.

In theory, with regards to the punitive aspects of incarceration, confinement should be enough without the attendant physical discomforts. However, it has rarely been that way throughout human history. That doesn't mean it's right, BUT -

It does seem impractical to have special, hotel-like accommodations for those whose crime - and it is a type of crime - is illegal immigration. Should CCA design a prison like Dante's inferno, with 7 levels of suffering, each tailored appropriately to the genre of the crime? Would that make everyone feel better?

Maybe all of this will change someday. I'm sure if their clients adopt revolutionary new standards of prison design and administration CCA will perform appropriately. It does seem an unfair burden for them to be held accountable for running prisons that do not offend the sensibilities of the New Yorker.

I'd like to see some coherent arguments about a better way from people who are boxing CCA about the head and neck, but so far, no luck.

Hey IndyVoter,

Gone through all of that research yet? Come to any conclusions? Why do you want to rely on other people to give you "some coherent arguments?" Can't you come up with any on your own? If you don't understand your opponent's argument, you don't fully understand your own argument. ;)

Hey "ineelb4no1":

In regard to the pregnant woman who had to give birth in her CCA jail cell (and whose infant lived only 3 hours, though it may have lived if she had been taken to a hospital), google "Meredith Manning" and "CCA." There's plenty more, but that's a good start.

At least the Sheriff's office takes pregnant women in labor to the hospital, unlike CCA staff. But hey, it's just an isolated incident, right? Tell that to the woman whose baby DIED. Comments, Louise? Louise? Hello?

It's true, I guess I don't understand what the hell you're saying half the time. But I have a sneaky feeling that's your fault, not mine!

I guess the gist of it is that I'm responsible for coming up with my own best arguments, and then your best arguments - not relying on you to do that for yourself - and then arguing it out myself.

Is that it?

Why is Pulle obsessed with Green Hills? It seems to be just as much as target as CCA.

Well, that explains MP's affinity for alex friedmann, for whom Green Hills was apparently also a target. Reading some history, it appears the only thing keeping him from joining a lot of turds on deathrow around the country is his piss poor aim... and the only thing keeping Pulle from legitimate news outlets is his piss poor bias.

So long MP. Don't let the door hit ya where the dog should've bit ya.

Glad to see that people are exercising their freedom of speech on this forum. Sad to see that such free speech is wasted on guttersnipes like "can'tafford," whose lack of eloquence is only eclipsed by his or her inability to form coherent thoughts. And people like that can presumably vote - God help us all. Go Matt!

Yes, Matt, please go.

Freedom:

If you are going to critique Can'tAfford's writing, you might want to mind your own adverbs. Most of us have never heard of "presumable voting."

AdverbCop

Would you prefer, "And people like that presumably can vote"? In most cases the adverb can come before OR after - check with the grammar police, AdverbCop! The problem with Can'tAfford wasn't just his/her writing - it was the content.

Freedom:

Wrong again! Tell me: what does "presumably" modify in that contraption you call a sentence?

Here's a nice explanation

http://languageandgrammar.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/hope-against-hopefully/

AdverbCop

Matt, in re: your quick addition, though it does criticize the CCA facility, its authors find fault primarily with the decision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrant families. It also goes on to give a detailed list of recommendations for positive changes. The authors of the report don't share your narrow focus on CCA nor your compulsion to dump everything in CCA's lap.

Also, prior to looking at this report, I didn't realize that facilities like Hutto were devised as an alternative to the traumatic separation of immigrant families. The report argues that it is not a suitable alternative, again showing a knack for big-picture thinking (or just plain thinking) that has been absent from much of this coverage. And I do mean yours.

Also, that report is from Feb of 2007. I would be interested to know what changes or improvements the ICE, Williamson County TX, and CCA have made in the interim. How about going and digging that up before you leave, as a token stab in the direction of "fair"...?

Good questions, Indy.

Also, the question that Louise should ask her kids is not "do you want to go to Hutto," but "if our whole family were seized for immigration violations, which of the following would you prefer?"

"(1) Mom goes to a women's detention center; dad goes to a men's detention center; and kids, you go to foster care with people you don't know or a shelter; or"

"(2) All of us stay together at one of two family detention centers in either Texas or Pennsylvania."

Because, Matt, those are the options available under current immigration policy. You may not like the policy, but you have to acknowledge that many people (including kids), given the choices, would prefer the latter--prison garb and all.

Since being sued by the ACLU, the folks who oversee Hutto have instituted a series of common-sense reforms. By all accounts, the place is more hospitable to immigrant families. All mothers are guaranteed pre-natal care and privacy curtains are now draped around toilets. Kids even have a chance to get a real education.

All of which begs the question: Why didn't CCA get it right from the start?

Well, Matt, I kaint speak fer CCA, but most of us wouldn't know whut ta do wif ourselves if`n we didn't have da ACLU ta tell us whut ta do.

So, if the place is functioning well now, as you seem to concede, why is an 18-month-old, obsolete critique of the joint a late-breaking addition to your story?

In fact, the ACLU sued the ICE, CCA's federal client, not CCA. ICE calls the shots - and had made what sound like positive changes to the situation WELL before this column.

These are not minor distinctions and should be obvious enough to a person entrusted with your ability to shape public opinion, even if only among those who know or care what a Ghostfinger is. Perhaps some further education would help!

Anyway, you certainly didn't "get it right from the start"...

I stand corrected, AdverbCop! (or is that, "corrected I stand?"). :)

Matt - what's really "hilarious" is the extent to which you and your dumster diving cohort have obsessed on this company.

Good luck with the temp job in Texas. Keep your chin up, don't squat with your spurs on, and to bastardize a quote from Ron Burgundy, you stay classy Matt Pulle (which, by the way, is German for a whale's vagina. I read it in arguably the most respected magazine in the country. Look it up).

Actually, Freedom, I did some additional reading and I have to retract. The use of adverbs as "sentence adverbs" has been acceptable use in the English speaking mainstream for about 300 years. So, your usage was correct. My correction was hypertechnical and anachronistic.

http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarfaq/f/sentadvqa.htm

And you are a gentleman (or gentlelady) for your response.

Take care,

AdverbCop (attending update inservice)

Here's a scoop for you, Matt (be sure to cue your bff Alex at the Tennessean to fire up the OP-Ed machine). A destructive hurricane named after a federal judicial nominee is wreaking deadly havoc in the Gulf. HeinekensAgainstGus is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who can produce the video tape of Gus Puryear farting in the Atlantic.

For more information about the opposition campaign against Gus Puryear, please visit: http://www.funnystuffblog.com/images/looter.jpg.

For more information about the opposition campaign against Gus Puryear, please visit:

http://boortz.com/images/katrina_looter.jpg

I'll jump on this bandwagon!

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/headzup-judging-judicial-nominees/4192733967