Inmates
must have 'abundant natural light,' 'ample recreation,' 'aerobics'
As the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expands its
outsourcing of detention across the
nation, potential contractors are being forewarned to abide by the Obama
administration’s kinder, gentler approach to detaining illegal aliens.
DHS Immigration & Customs Enforcement most recently
embarked upon the outsourcing plan in Georgia, where it will continue to push
the administration’s reform agenda to create a civil, rather than penal,
processing system.
According to contracting documents that U.S. Trade &
Aid Monitor located through routine database research, the Georgia outsourcing
endeavor requires providers to offer detainees, among other perks, “abundant
natural light throughout the facility [and] ample indoor and outdoor recreation
that allows for vigorous aerobic exercise with extended hours of availability.”
ICE recently issued a Request for Information from
potential contractors in which the agency intends to assign detention
responsibilities to private sector entities that will build new facilities,
renovate existing structures or leverage a combination of the two.
The agency acknowledged that some detainees may have a
criminal history or suffer from mental illness. In those cases, it would
require the contractor to separate such persons into a medium- or
maximum-security area.
Other detainees, however, would be accommodated with
various services and conditions, such as:
- Four hours per day of outdoor recreation and ideally a
minimum of two hours recreation in a gymnasium during inclement weather.
- Private showers and restrooms (where practicable).
- Cafeteria-style meal service.
- Non-institutional detainee clothing.
- “Contact visitation,” including special arrangements for
visiting families, with extended hours including nights and weekends.
- Private areas for attorney-client visits, with video
teleconferencing capabilities.
- Noise control.
- Enhanced, but controlled, freedom of movement.
- Enhanced law library and legal resources.
- “Enhanced programming,” including religious services and
social programs and dedicated space for religious services.
ICE tentatively is looking for space in Georgia to hold
about 2,000 male detainees – up to 600 who would be categorized a low-security,
900 as medium-security and 400 designated as a high-security population.
Capacity for an additional 100 detainees would be divided between
administrative detention and mental health units.
DHS in recent months launched additional searches for
contractors offering detention, transportation, and food services in cities
such Chicago, Miami and Houston.
The projects come at a time when the push for immigration
reform – in varying forms – is heating up both on Capitol Hill and at the White
House.
Indeed, in the House Committee on the Judiciary’s first
hearing of the 113th Congress, Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., emphasized that
the American people and members of Congress “have a lot of questions about how
our legal immigration system should work.”
“They have a lot of questions about why our immigration
laws have not always been sufficiently enforced.”
Goodlatte pointed out that while reform could greatly
affect U.S. citizens, legal residents, and illegal aliens alike, he affirmed
the principle that “America is a nation of immigrants. … But we are also a
nation of laws.”
In response to that hearing, the immigrant-advocacy group
Detention Watch Network reiterated its call to repeal mandatory detention laws.
Emily Tucker, DWN director of policy and advocacy, said
in a statement: “While we are excited about the momentum to finally create a
path to citizenship for millions of people, immigration reform must include the
reform of our wasteful and inhumane detention and deportation system.
“Neither the White House’s nor Senate’s plans respond to
years of community outrage about border and interior enforcement programs that
have separated families, violated due process rights, and led to serious human
rights abuses,” she said.
The DWN statement indicated that the committee reportedly
is due to introduced a draft immigration-reform bill this week.
The Heritage Foundation says, “So far there is no actual
bill – just a set of “principles” for the promised legislation.”
Jessica Zuckerman, research associate at Heritage, said
in an issue brief, “These principles, however, do not adequately address the
tough issues that have to be tackled to provide lasting and beneficial fixes
that strengthen the U.S. economy, security, and civil society.”
Similarly, she added that the White House recently
announced its own set of immigration reform principles, while promising to
introduce an “even more comprehensive bill if Congress does not move fast
enough.”
Zuckerman warned, however, that “if both initiatives do
nothing more than reintroduce confusing, complicated, and contentious bills
similar to the failed ‘comprehensive’ bill of 2007, then our nation will be
poorly served by these latest efforts.”
A similar version of this article was published via WND on Feb. 15, 2013. Under agreement with WND, rights have reverted back to the author, Steve Peacock.