By Damon Hininger, President & CEO, CoreCivic

Our nation is experiencing a humanitarian crisis at our border. It is a challenging, often heartbreaking issue that goes to the core of who we are as a nation. Every day, discussions about how to solve the complex challenges around immigration are at the center of media stories, political debates, and conversations at the dinner table. Yet in the middle of these discussions, there is misinformation being spread about our company, and it is important to set the record straight.

Fact 1: CoreCivic never has and never will house unaccompanied minors. We do not house children who are not under the supervision of a parent – period. Instead, during their average 12-day stay at our Texas facility, children receive what is often the first comprehensive medical, mental, and dental care they've had in their lifetimes. They are able to attend school and when they leave us, our educators have worked to prepare them to enter their grade level in the public school system.

Fact 2: Individuals crossing our borders need immediate, compassionate care when they arrive. Often they are hungry, tired, sick and hurting. Every single individual that enters CoreCivic's care gets medical attention, a hot meal, and a warm shower in the first moments after they enter our facility. They are shown how to make outgoing phone calls, and are provided important information in their own language via interpreters. From there, they are provided housing and access to legal counsel as they pursue their immigration cases.

Fact 3: CoreCivic facilities are clean, balanced meals are planned by dietitians, and we have significant oversight by our government partner who is on site every day.

We understand that immigration is a challenging issue, but we cannot let inaccurate information about our company stand. The bottom line is that our care is appropriate, our care is compassionate and our care is always respectful - and that is the truth. 

Take a look at our website for more facts about what we do and what we don't do as a company.