11/27/2010
The nomination of Stacia A. Hylton by President Obama to head the U.S. Marshals Service is being opposed by a coalition of criminal justice and human rights organizations.
Hylton is a former U.S. Marshals Service Acting Deputy Director who was employed as Federal Detention Trustee from June 2004 to February 2010, where she supervised the detention of federal prisoners who are awaiting trial or immigration proceedings. After she retired, President Obama in September 20, 2010, nominated her to direct the U.S. Marshals Service.
When Hylton was still Federal Detention Trustee, a private prison company, GEO Group, was awarded a several lucrative contracts to house federal prisoners. Some of these contracts include a sole-source 10-year contract at the GEO’s Western Region Detention Facility located in San Diego, which generates around $34 million in yearly revenue, and a twenty-year contract to manage the Rio Grande Dentention Center in Laredo, generating an annual revenue of approximately $34 million.
Washington Times reported in October 25 that after her retirement as Federal Detention Trustee in February of 2010, Hylton immediately accepted a consulting job offered by the GEO Group through her company, Hylton, Kirk & Associates LLC, where she is listed as the president and sole owner. Hyltons financial disclosure statement reveals a $112,500 revenue from “consulting services for detention matters.” The only company listed in that disclosure statement with regards to her company’s consulting services was GEO Group.
Grassroots Leadership’s Bob Libal said, “The U.S. Marshals preside over one of the nation’s largest privatized federal detention systems.” He further added, “Policies that have driven the private prison expansion such as Operation Streamline are carried out by the U.S. Marshals. Ms. Hylton’s consulting work with the GEO Group, a troubled company that benefits handsomely from such policies, is a cause for major concern.”
