WHO WE ARE
 
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PCI, 1114 Brandt Drive, Tallahassee FL 32308

The mission of the Private Corrections Institute (PCI) is to provide information and assistance to citizens, policy makers, and journalists concerning the dangers and pitfalls of privatization of correctional institutions and services in order to reverse and stop this social injustice.

Dee Hubbard, President, a graduate of Eastern Washington University with degrees in both Education and Political Science. She has worked for the Washington State Legislature as an intern to the House Minority Leader, the Alaska State Legislature and the Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs as a Field Training Officer and Local Government Specialist. Dee is involved with a number of PTA groups throughout Alaska and is an appointed member of the State Bond Reimbursement and Grant Review Committee. She was Co-Chair of the OSI-sponsored National Legal Resource Center Committee in 2002. The Committee's work resulted in the creation of the National Resource Center on Prisons and Communities. Dee was a member of the NRCPC Board.

Alex Friedmann, Vice President, served 10 years behind bars, including 6 years at a private prison operated by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). While incarcerated he was a contributing writer for Prison Legal News and Prison Life magazine, and self published the Private Corrections Industry News Bulletin. Following his release in 1999, he served on the steering committee of the Public Safety and Justice Campaign, was elected co-chair of the Restorative Justice Coalition of Middle Tennessee, worked as a volunteer mediator and was involved in other criminal justice-related projects. Alex has had numerous articles published on prison privatization issues including a chapter in Capitalist Punishment, a book published by Human Rights Internet, and has spoken at various conferences and forums about the private prison industry. He assisted with several lawsuits filed against private prison companies. Alex currently is an Associate Editor for Prison Legal News.

Stephen Raher, Secretary/Treasurer, is an independent criminal justice policy analyst based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After graduating from Colorado College in 1998, Stephen helped found the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC), which has mounted opposition to all Colorado prison expansion plans (public and private) since its inception. Stephen served as the CCJRC's senior policy analyst until June 2004. He currently works as a reporter for KRCC-FM, the National Public Radio affiliate for southern Colorado. Stephen holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado and has conducted numerous research projects on correctional privatization, rural prison siting, public finance, and mental health issues.

Deb Phillips, Director, works in the electrical contracting business that she and her husband founded in 1983. She’s reported for and published a small newspaper. Deb is the West River Coordinator of the Parents Who Care Coalition, writing for and publishing its newsletter. She has lobbied for positive changes in juvenile corrections. Deb is the current president of the South Dakota ACLU and a board member of SD Peace & Justice.

The PCI staff consists of the following people:

Ken Kopczynski, Executive Director, since 1993, Ken has been a Legislative and Political Affairs Assistant for the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the largest collective bargaining agent for law enforcement, correctional and correctional probation officers in Florida. He lobbies on behalf of officers, conducts research and analysis, and provides campaign consulting. Mr. Kopczynski received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the Florida State University with a minor in Political Communications in 1992. Ken represented the PBA and the Communications Workers of America on the Public Safety and Justice Campaign. He recently published a book; the proceeds are donated to PCI, Private Capitol Punishment about his experience exposing corruption in the for-profit private prison industry in Florida.

Frank Smith, Field Organizer, Frank has been a social justice activist for almost four decades. He has been involved in criminal justice research, marijuana decriminalization initiatives, labor organizing, prison construction moratoriums, civil rights restoration, alternatives to incarceration and directed programs providing substance abuse treatment, prevention and education, and prisoner reentry services. His published efforts range from a feature journal article on the treatment and prevention of Hepatitis C in prisons in Counselor Magazine to contributing a chapter on Native Americans in for-profit prisons, in Capitalist Punishment, published in 2003. Frank sits on the Board of the South Central Kansas Peace and Social Justice Center, is Vice-President of the Alaska AFSCME Retiree Chapter and is a member of the Kansas Silver Haired legislature. He graduated from California State University at San Francisco with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and completed all but dissertation at the Saybrook Institute.