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Sodexho HQ occupied!

@ | 04.12.2001 09:15

In the past few minutes the HQ of Sodexho has been
occupied by activisys protesting against the companies
involvement with the Prison industry

Currenty several activists have secured themselves
in a room shortly before 9.00am. The police have
been called, more news when I have it.

@

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Update on Sodexho occupation

04.12.2001 10:05

The 6 activists who have occupied Sodexho HQ have all
been arrested as of 9.50am and have been taken to
Croydon police station. More info when I have it!

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Homepage: .

Information about Sodexho

Who are they?
A French company that specialises in hotels and catering!

What do they do?
Their main area of business are Facilities Management, Catering and Healthcare. Many Sodexho ventures are remarkably innocent - they do the food on Belgium's railways, for example.

Prisons?
In June 1994 Sodexho entered into an international alliance with Corrections Corporation of America, the market leaders in American prison construction and management, who wanted to pursue prison management outside the US.

CCA and Sodexho each have a 50% share in Corrections Corporation of Australia and UK Detention Services.

UK Detention Services Ltd are late starters in the UK market but they have built HMP Blakenhurst in Redditch, have almost finished another prison in Salford, Manchester and have one of the regional Prisoner Transport Contracts.

So why are they featured here?
They have recently branched out into prisons and other undesirable projects. They are the largest non-US private prison company.

The managing director of Sodexho explained:
"I used to be into hotels, but with prisons I can guarantee 100% occupancy rates every night!"

Anything else?
Sodexho run the catering for the Mexican Army - involved in armed repression of the Zapatistas, the indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico.

They also run the voucher scheme for asylum seekers in the UK, telling supermarkets not to give change if the purchase doesn't use up the entire voucher, banning purchases of "inessential" items like children's toys etc.

Who is in charge?
Chairman is Pierre Bellon
Head of Custodial Services is Jean Cluny

Where do I find them?
Sodexho have a base in England:
Kenley House, Kenley Lane, Kenley, Sussex.

Their web site is