The state of Minnesota is trying to deal with a prison overcrowding problem, and the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) said they have a plan. However, Minnesotans have responded to the for-profit prison company with a resounding “no.”

CCA is notorious for housing inmates in below-average facilities, underpaying employees, and lobbying state legislatures to pass frivolous “tough on crime” laws that actually perpetuate crime and prison crowding.

They develop contracts with states stating there must be a 90 percent housing rate, or else the state pays a fee. The result is that states are now compelled to keep crime rates up to ensure that they don’t pay the CCA. Meanwhile, countless amounts of people are imprisoned for long periods of time over petty crimes.

Minnesota’s denial of the CCA illustrates a progressive move to combat for-profit prisons that destroy lives. Companies like the CCA want people to commit crime because crime maintains their profit margin.

For more on this story, visit the Huffington Post “Minnesotans Says ‘No Thanks’ to Private Prison Company”

Farron Cousins is the executive editor of The Trial Lawyer magazine and a contributing writer at DeSmogBlog.com. He is the co-host / guest host for Ring of Fire Radio. His writings have appeared on Alternet, Truthout, and The Huffington Post. Farron received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of West Florida in 2005 and became a member of American MENSA in 2009. Follow him on Twitter @farronbalanced