Jul 25th, 2009
Posted by Dotty Griffith, ACLU of Texas at 09:28am	Human Rights, Immigrants' Rights, Private Prisons

Investigating Detention Conditions in Texas: Spreading Know Your Rights Information in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

A diverse coalition of immigrant rights and civil liberties groups met with officials of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) earlier this week as the human rights investigators began their fact-finding visits to immigration detention centers in Texas. The IACHR is a regional human rights body, and part of the Organization of American States, of which the United States is a member.

As the IACHR began their visits, members of the staffs of the ACLU of Texas and the ACLU of New Mexico’s Regional Center for Border Rights spent two days in the Lower Rio Grande Valley presenting Know Your Rights meetings for community organizations and facilitated the distribution of more than 3,000 Know Your Rights door hangers and palm cards.

Representatives of 10 organizations gathered at the Austin offices of the ACLU of Texas calling for a full investigation of conditions at Texas detention facilities as part of the IACHR’s investigation of the treatment of migrants held in detention in the United States. A press conference called by the ACLU of Texas, Grassroots Leadership, and Austin Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, generated statewide coverage of the IACHR visits with particular interest in the T. Don Hutto family detention center (PDF). Bob Libal, Texas Campaign Coordinator at Grassroots Leadership noted:

The explosive increase in detention through government programs … has created a huge boon for the private prison industry…These facilities are built and operated with minimal oversight, so international human rights bodies like the IACHR can play a crucial role in monitoring the use and conditions within these private prisons.

Jason Cato from the Austin Immigrants’ Right Coalition, a group of immigrants, students, labor, faith, and community groups added:

The increase in federal funding and pressure for local law enforcement to engage in immigration regulation … has compounded the potential for human rights violations like racial profiling and dangerous, inappropriate police tactics. Local police shouldn’t be enforcing the civil provisions of federal immigration law, and the results, in terms of decreased public safety and increased detention, come at great cost to U.S. taxpayers and democratic ideals.

Also among the groups meeting with the IACHR delegation: American Gateways, Catholic Charities, Familias Unidas por la Esperanza, Migrant and Child Welfare National Network, Texas Appleseed, and Texans United for Families.

The community group representatives also expressed the following concerns:

• Hutto remains an unlicensed facility and there will be no external monitoring when the settlement expires.
• Continued expansion of detention facilities, especially by private companies. The question remains as to whether the new administration will proceed with this expansion.
• The present “color code” system for detainees means that when “reds,” with the worst criminal histories, have to be moved within the facility, all other detainees (“oranges” and “blues”) must be in their cells, i.e. rooms, which means that the entire facility is essentially on lockdown.
• Many of the facilities do not have full-time doctors, nurses or psychiatrists on staff raising concerns about the quality and availability of medical care.

In addition to meeting with advocates, the IACHR officials toured several detention facilities in Texas, including the Willacy Detention Center, known as “tent city” due to its construction of windowless Kevlar tents, in Raymondville; the T. Don Hutto family detention center in Taylor where immigrant families are held; and the International Emergency Shelter Unaccompanied Minor Shelter in Los Fresnos. The IACHR will issue a report by the end of 2009 on its findings.

The ACLU of Texas is hopeful that the IACHR’s investigation will shed further light on ways the U.S. government can and should do better in the way it treats immigrants. Lisa Graybill, Legal Director for the ACLU of Texas, and one of the attorneys who litigated against the T. Don Hutto facility to improve conditions for families detained there, noted:

Texas is ground zero for U.S. immigration policies which violate human rights….Given that Hutto is still not licensed by the state, when the court’s oversight of the Hutto settlement expires on August 29, 2009, the need for scrutiny by outside bodies like the IACHR will be even more acute.

Learn more about the ACLU of Texas: www.aclutx.org, and the ACLU of New Mexico and Regional Center for Border Rights: www.aclu-nm.org.

Permalink |	Human Rights, Immigrants' Rights, Private Prisons

1. William Says:
   Jul 26th, 2009 at 11:54am

   INCARCERATING PEOPLE "FOR PROFIT" IS IN A WORD....WRONG!
   Even if one does not ask or pretends not to see the rope and the flashing red flag draped around the philosophical question standing solemnly at attention in the middle of the room, it remains apparent that the mere presence of a private “for profit” driven prison business in our country undermines the U.S Constitution and subsequently the credibility of the American criminal justice system. In fact, until all private prisons in America have been abolished and outlawed, “the promise” of fairness and justice at every level of this country’s judicial system will remain unattainable. We must restore the principles and the vacant promise of our judicial system. Our government cannot continue to "job-out" its obligation and neglect its duty to the individuals confined in the correctional and rehabilitation facilities throughout this nation, nor can it ignore the will of the people that it was designed to serve and protect. There is urgent need for the good people of this country to emerge from the shadows of indifference, apathy, cynicism, fear, and those other dark places that we migrate to when we are overwhelmed by frustration and the loss of hope.
   My hope is that you will support the National Public Service Council to Abolish Private Prisons (NPSCTAPP) with a show of solidarity by signing "The Single Voice Petition"
   http://www.petitiononline.com/gufree2/petition.html

   Please visit our website for further information: http://www.npsctapp.blogspot.com

   –Ahma Daeus
   "Practicing Humanity Without A License"…

2. Paen Says:
   Jul 29th, 2009 at 1:49pm

   What the hell right do private companies have to imprison people.At least the state is responsible to the voters.

3. criminals are criminals Says:
   Aug 4th, 2009 at 6:42pm

   Once they repay society for their crimes they can have their rights. Til then I don't care and I don't think many Americans should either. We're talking illegal aliens who come here and commit crime.

4. Anonymous Says:
   Sep 2nd, 2009 at 7:45pm

   To "criminals are criminals": Don't dare speak unless you know the facts; not all detainees are criminals, nor are they all illegal aliens. I was just as ignorant and dogmatic as you, until recently, when I had a loved one who was detained and threatened with deportation, for something on their record from 1991, which they paid the fine for ($100.00, for a misdemeanor). This person was innocent of the crime to begin with, but as far as you stated, once they paid their debt to society, should have been free to live as any other law-abiding citizen, right???? But not so. Now this person had to pay thousands of dollars to post their bond, and then has to pay both an immigration and a criminal attorney to try to clear this up.This is an upstanding, honest, decent, Christian person, who makes it their business to follow the law, and encourages others to do the same, has never been arrested or engaged in any wroongdoing. Why is this happening, then? Because since 9/11, and probably way before that, everybody is lumped into one category-potential terrorists. And as stated in the other commentaries-yes, private contractors are making tons of profits from housing the detainees. Detention is BIG money in the USA--follow the money trail, you will find that everything in the detention centers; from the bedsheets, the mattresses, the food, all are being supplied by private contractors, mostly owned/run by Republican politicians or supporters. I, like you, Mr or Ms '"criminals are criminals", always felt that if you came into contact with law enforcement, you must have done something wrong. I am not too proud to say that I am ashamed of my past thinking, and admit that I was just as bad as you and those right-wing ideologues seen on the likes of FOX news. I now know that I must look deeper before passing judgement. No, not all in prison are innocent, but you can be damned sure that many are. Get off of your high horse, and find out the TRUTH, which will set you free....