Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed AB 32 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), which will phase out the use of all private, for-profit prisons, including both prisons and immigration detention facilities, in California.

AB 32 will bar the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) from entering into or renewing a contract with a private prison company after January 1, 2020, and will prevent California from holding inmates in for-profit prison facilities starting by 2028. AB 32 also applies equally to prohibit private detention facilities that are located in California.

“During my inaugural address, I vowed to end private prisons, because they contribute to over-incarceration, including those that incarcerate California inmates and those that detain immigrants and asylum seekers,” said Governor Newsom. “These for-profit prisons do not reflect our values.”

“I am very thankful and extremely proud that Governor Newsom has signed my AB 32," said Assemblymember Bonta. "This is truly a historic moment for California. By ending the use of for-profit, private prisons and detention facilities, we are sending a powerful message that we vehemently oppose the practice of profiteering off the backs of Californians in custody, that we will stand up for the health, safety and welfare of our people, and that we are committed to humane treatment for all."

CDCR has exited two private prisons this year, one out-of-state in Arizona in June and the Central Valley Modified Community Correctional Facility in September.