NASHVILLE (AP) — Metro council has asked a city board to stop investing money from its employee pension fund in privately-operated prisons.
The Council voted 20-3 with 11 abstentions on Tuesday to approve a non-binding resolution that's intended to make a moral statement against private prison companies, like the Nashville-based CoreCivic. Amid increasing focus on criminal justice reform, private prisons have drawn scrutiny and criticism of conditions and lobbying meant to stymie intended reform.
Metro Finance Director Talia Lomax-O'dneal told councilmembers prior to the vote that the Metro Employee Benefit Board doesn't appear to have invested pension funds in CoreCivic since 2016.
The resolution was opposed by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, which said divestment on "political or philosophical grounds sets a dangerous precedent."