Princeton will not divest from Private Prisons

Princeton University will not divest from private prisons, according to a report issued by the University Resources Committee Friday noon.

According to the report, when deciding on the issue, half of the resources committee members spoke in favor of divestment and the other spoke against. As there was no consensus, the divestment petition was tabled.

"One argument against divestment from private prisons is that private prisons are not responsible
for the policy decisions that helped create the high rate of imprisonment in the United States," the report noted.

The debate also encouraged continued research and debate about mass incarceration and
the role of private prisons in the current criminal justice system.

The Resources Committee was chaired by Professor of Geosciences Blair Schoene. Other members included Professors of economics Bo Honoré and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Michael Littman. Colette Johnson, GS; William Pugh ’20, and Grace Obiofuma ’18 are student members of the committee.

The University currently has no direct or indirect investment in private prisons. It has taken divestment measures before against the apartheid regime in South Africa and perpetrators of genocide in Sudan. In 2016, Columbia University divested from private prisons.

The Tab has reached out to members of the resources committee for comment.