Faith leaders in Florida are celebrating the defeat of a state Senate bill that would have created the largest prison privatization in the United States. The Privatization of Correctional Facilities bill (SB 2038) failed 21-19 after Sen. Gary Siplin of Orlando, who was originally in favor of the plan, changed his vote to “no”.

PICO United Florida and Federation of Congregations United to Serve (FOCUS), in partnership with AFSCME and other grassroots organizations, worked to pressure public officials, including Siplin, to vote against the bill that would have affected 27 prisons and work camps  in South  Florida, resulting the in the loss of 4,300 jobs.

Proving the PICO principle “power is in the relationship,” a conversation between Siplin and the Rev. Errol Thompson, pastor of New Fellowship Baptist Church, just hours before the vote may have persuaded the senator to change his mind.

Thompson, who chairs the PICO United Florida board of directors, said he called Siplin to ensure that he understood the ramifications of SB 2038.

“We talked about what passage of this bill would mean to our communities,” Thompson said. “I told him that as a pastor I was concerned because prison privatization impacts minority communities in a greater way. Because they have to keep the beds full, arrests of people of color tend to accelerate.”

The more people behind bars, and the longer they stay there, the more money that private, for-profit prison companies make, according to the report “Unholy Alliance: How the private prison industry is corrupting our democracy and promoting mass incarceration.”

The report, produced by PICO National Network and Public Campaign, also states that between 1990 and 2009, the total number of inmates in federal and state prisons doubled; while private prisons saw their inmate population explode by nearly 1,700% over roughly the same period.

Thompson told the senator that even after being released from prison, many people continue to struggle. “They can’t find jobs and their voting rights are taken from them,” he said. “I asked Sen. Siplin to strongly consider the compounding affects that prison privatization would have on the community.”

The bill’s supporters claim that allowing private companies to bid on contracts to run the state’s prison system would generate revenue. In an interview with the Associated Press, Siplin said he ultimately voted against the bill because he wasn't convinced it would solve the state's money woes.

"I think it was appropriate and proper to have the bill come to the floor, hear all the discussion, and see whether it would assist in balancing the budget," Siplin said. "But I thought, based on the evidence, that we can still find some other funds some other ways."

Click here to read “Unholy Alliance: How the private prison industry is corrupting our democracy and promoting mass incarceration.”