Posted on 06/10/2010 11:31:33 AM PDT by AuntB
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are preparing to roll out a series of changes at several privately owned immigration detention centers, including relaxing some security measures for low-risk detainees and offering art classes, bingo and continental breakfast on the weekends.
The changes were welcomed by immigrant advocates who have been waiting for the Obama administration to deliver on a promise made in August to overhaul the nation's immigration detention system.
The 28 changes identified in the e-mail range from the superficial to the substantive. In addition to “softening the look of the facility” with hanging plants and offering fresh carrot sticks, ICE will allow for the “free movement” of low-risk detainees, expand visiting hours and provide unmonitored phone lines.
ICE officials said the changes are part of broader efforts to make the immigration detention system less penal and more humane.
But the plans are prompting protests by ICE's union leaders, who say they will jeopardize the safety of agents, guards and detainees and increase the bottom line for taxpayers. Tre Rebstock, president for Local 3332, the ICE union in Houston, likened the changes to creating “an all-inclusive resort” for immigration detainees.
Other major changes include:
• Eliminating lockdowns and lights-out for low-risk detainees.
• Allowing visitors to stay as long as they like in a 12-hour period.
• Allowing low-risk detainees to wear their own clothing or other non-penal attire.
• Providing e-mail access and Internet-based free phone service.
Not about punishment
"It's not about punishing people for a crime they committed.”
Rosenberg said some of the changes, like new flower baskets, may seem small, but they will combine with the bigger changes to make a difference in the daily lives of detainees.
“Taken together they will go some way to making this system less penal,” she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Here is some more on these 'changes'. Do remember, Corrections Corporation of America as well as other 'private prison' systems give BIG $$$$ to candidates...one of them being John McCain.
IMPROVING DETENTION
ICE and the private prison company Corrections Corporation of America have agreed to make more than 24 changes at nine facilities. The changes include:
• Relaxing security: Low-risk detainees will have “freedom of movement” in the facilities and will no longer be subject to lock downs or lights out.
• Access: Detainees will be able to have visitors stay as long as they like within a 12-hour window. The facilities will increase attorney visitation space, add un-monitored phone lines and give detainees email and free, Internet-based calling. A unit manager will be available to take complaints directly from detainees.
• Daily life: Detainees will be allowed to wear regular clothing, will have at least four hours of recreation daily, and will be offered cooking, art and dance classes.
WTF????
Keep in mind...these detention centers are newer, modern and provide better health care and just about everything else than our servicemen get in Vet hospitals.
And yet ICE is claiming it doesn’t have the resources to deport illegals turned over by Arizona. Maybe Sheriff Joe and the other good sheriffs in Arizona should erect a tent city down by the border to keep them until ICE decides it can deport them.
The detention centers will become magnets for illegal immigration. Cross the border just to get placed in a detention center.
This is insane
why bother?
so illegals will check in , stay as long as they like and check out.
Good Lord who is in charge
thanks for this story AB We need to send this around the country
I guess we weren’t spending enough funds for the illegal immigrants. Seems to me we should buy them cars too. It’s humane to let them visit their relatives, drive back and forth to their day labor jobs.
how much more humane can they get?
RE “..and provide unmonitored phone lines.”
Well of course. Wouldnt want illegal activity detected
Also, we’re going to turn off the 24/7 TVs that show speeches made by President Obama, not only is this more humane, but it cuts down on our agency’s Carbon Footprint!
Actually, if you were a terrorist spy, wouldn’t it make sense now to go visit your ‘friend’ in an ICE detention facility and, while there, make important phone calls to your foreign contacts?
I know I should be indignant, but this article made me laugh out loud! What inhumane beast would deprive people of art classes and bingo? /s
I just hope telemundo is available in HD for the plasma TVs.
not having that would be inhumane.
IIRC....the name on his shirt was “Habib” or something like that..
this may be the 1st time I ever agreed with what union leaders are claiming.
¡Idiotas!
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