GEO Executive Calabrese selling millions of dollars in property

The private prison industry makes good sense for at least one group of well-heeled individuals - executives at the biggest private prison corporations who make big bucks operating these companies.  We reported last month GEO Group CEO George Zoley and chief operating officer Wayne Calabrese were amongst the highest paid south Florida executives. 

Now, Calabrese is selling two South Florida homes for a combined value of more than $3 million.  The first, a modest 1,810-square-foot house in the Boca Raton Riviera subdivision, is going for a mere $575,000.  The second is a 6,105-square-foot house Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club subdivision that is on the market for a less modest $2.475 million. Clearly, the prison business has been good to Mr. Calabrese.

Sometimes we forget that the wealth accumulated by private prison corporations and their executives comes soley from taxpayer dollars paid to companies that in turn don't spend all that money on correctional services.  Calabrese's $3.6 million compensation was more than than 19 times the salary of TDCJ director Brad Livingston and more that 16 times the starting salary of the Secretary of Corrections for the state of California. GEO head George Zoley's total compensation last year was more than $7 million, and Zoley listed a home in Fort Lauderdale for sale for nearly $11 million last January.  Private prisons are clearly good business for some.