Visit the ACOIN's Privatization Alert for the latest prison privatization new, and resource information.   The American Correctional Officer Anti-Prison Privatization Resolution WHEREAS, The mission and purpose of the American Correctional Officer is to promote the well being and safety of publicly employed Correctional Officers and corrections professionals and work to enhance the image of correctional officers and improve the working conditions of officers nationwide: WHEREAS, the members of American Correctional Officers are current, retired, correctional public sector employees and are supporters of the correctional profession: WHEREAS, publicly employed correctional officers are dedicated, hardworking, and deeply committed to our profession; WHEREAS, publicly employed correctional officers have a sworn duty to uphold public safety and deep commitment to the communities on which we live; WHEREAS, the privatization of corrections has grown rapidly in recent years at the local, state and federal level due to false claims by private prison companies that they can operate prisons and jails cheaper and more efficiently than the public sector: WHEREAS, Privately run jails and prisons are undermining progress made in field of corrections and impeding efforts to advance corrections now and in the future by cutting back on inmate services, programs that lessen recidivism and inmate healthcare; WHEREAS, Private Prison firms encourage the exportation of inmates to private facilities in other states to optimize their profit potential; WHEREAS, Private prison firms generate profits by understaffing facilities, paying employees inferior wages and benefits, providing inadequate staff training and not paying corporate or property taxes; WHEREAS, There is wide spread opposition to prison privatization across the country; WHEREAS, Research has repeatedly shown that assaults on cor-rectional staff are almost 50% higher and assaults on inmates are almost 65% higher in private prisons than in public sector; WHEREAS, American Correctional Officer, and its sister organi-zation, American Correctional Officer Intelligence Network, provides a clearinghouse of information for local, state, and federal organi-zations to support efforts to fight prison privatization; Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the American Correctional Officer, and all organizational and individual members have a zero tolerance of prison privatization. RESOLVED that no private prison guard, employee of a private prison, or supporter of prison privatization shall ever obtain mem-bership in American Correctional Officer or have any affiliation with this organization what so ever. RESOLVED, that the American Correctional Officer will continue to fight prison privatization in all communities, at the grass root level and in local, state and Congressional legislative bodies until prison privatization is eradicated.