Thurgood Marshall Jr. Sits On CoreCivic's Board Of Trustees, Now Decreases Stake In Private Prison Operator

After having served 15 years on the Corecivic Inc CXW Board of Trustees, Thurgood Marshall Jr., the son of late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, seems to have lost confidence in the private prison company.

On Thursday, Marshall sold 2,750 CoreCivic shares at a value of $32.50 each. Despite the sale, he retains 33,443 shares as well as his seat on the company board — a role abounding with personal conflicts.

The Democratic Private-Prison Champion

Prior to his involvement with the prison, Marshall served as cabinet secretary to former President Bill Clinton and director of legislative affairs and deputy counsel to former Vice President Al Gore.

His allegiance to the Democratic party is now tempered by his support of the private prison sector.

Recently, Democratic leaders have pushed for the federal government to reduce reliance on private correctional facilities and, consequently, diminish funding. Marshall’s support of CoreCivic aligns with Republican priorities to preserve private prison contracts.

The African-American Private-Prison Champion

Additional conflicts arise from the Marshall family history of advancing African American rights. Thurgood Marshall Sr., an instrumental figure in the desegregation of schools, had been an outspoken member of the NAACP and founded and directed the association’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Recently, civil rights activists in the vein of Marshall Sr. have challenged the American justice system for its treatment and disproportionate incarceration of black citizens. Private prisons are under direct fire, as the business model prefers young inmates without health liabilities. According to a 2014 study, this favors drug arrests, which skew African American more so than other crimes.

CoreCivic — which profits from criminalized drug and immigration activity — has lobbied for policies that would fill its beds, rendering Marshall Jr.’s company leadership and recent $5,000 donation to the CoreCivic PAC neutralizing forces against his father’s historic efforts.

The company has even acknowledged Marshall Jr.’s value in influencing policy.

"Thurgood's legal expertise and his thorough understanding of federal government procedure will give clarity to many of our strategic initiatives to enhance the federal, state and local government's utilization of public/private partnership in corrections," CCA Board Chairman William Andrews said at the time of Marshall Jr.’s board appointment.

Related Links:

While Trump Policies Improve Sentiment On CoreCivic, Several Headwinds Remain Expect Further Upside In CoreCivic, GEO Group Prison Stocks Spike After DoJ Reverses Obama’s Decision On Private Prisons ________ Image Credit: "Panelists from the JFK 50th Justice for All Leading with Diversity in a Global Economy discussion with moderator Tom Brokaw. From left to right, Caroline Kennedy, Ken Feinberg, Ken Frazier, Ron Williams, Jill Abramson, Jay Zimmerman, Hilda Solis, Tom Brokaw, and Thurgood Marshall, Jr. Photograph taken January 18, 2012 at Alice Tully Hall." By US Department of Labor - http://www.flickr.com/photos/usdol/6751355155/in/photostream, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons