By Damon Hininger, CoreCivic President and CEO

Where does the time go? I find myself asking this year after year because time seems to pass so quickly. As I reflect on 2023, I see just how many notable highlights there have been for CoreCivic. We experienced a very steady year of business, marked by some challenges but also some "firsts" for the company, which are worthy of celebrating.

In May of last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially declared that the COVID-19 pandemic had ended. I trust many of you remember how incredibly challenging the pandemic was for everyone – personally and professionally, so closing this chapter was some of the best news of the year. Our nation and company experienced tragic loss due to the virus, and we will always honor and remember the lives that were taken too soon.

Over the course of 2023, CoreCivic's Safety segment renewed multiple contracts with various government partners. CoreCivic even established four new contracts with—in some cases—government partners who had not yet worked with CoreCivic in our 40 years of service.

CoreCivic's Community segment also experienced a strong year, providing more services to residents who are transitioning from prison to their communities through residential reentry environments. I was encouraged to learn recently that approximately 76 percent of CoreCivic Community residents, who are eligible to work, were gainfully employed in their respective communities last year. When residents are gainfully employed upon release, research shows that their chances of recidivating significantly decrease.

On the staffing front, CoreCivic saw improved employment data after several years of national labor challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, we successfully reduced vacancy rates to nearly reach our pre-pandemic levels. In fact, we saw multiple months of record-setting job application numbers. These are encouraging milestones for many reasons, especially because it is evidence of "normalcy" following the unpredictable labor market that the pandemic thrust on industries nationwide.

And of course, 2023 was CoreCivic's 40th anniversary. Truly, I can't think of a better year than 2023 to celebrate our devotion and service to our government partners, communities, and those in our care. And looking ahead to 2024, I am deeply optimistic CoreCivic will continue to deliver quality service.

This year, the United States will hold a presidential election. And having now delivered 40 consecutive years of flexible government solutions, I am confident Team CoreCivic will continue to dutifully carry out its public service duties, under either Democrat or Republican leadership, so communities can remain safe and justice-involved individuals can map a better life outside incarceration.

As CoreCivic's president and CEO, it is evident to me that Team CoreCivic places our mission to better the public good at the forefront of all we do. As we look ahead to this new year, I want to say thank you to Team CoreCivic for your hard work and dedication to our mission. Let's enthusiastically approach 2024 with hope and optimism that this will be our best year yet.