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ICE Investigating Sexual Assault Charges Against Guard at Immigrant Detention Facility

A guard at the T. Don Hutto immigrant detention facility in Texas has been fired and ICE is investigating allegations he sexually assaulted women detainees being held for deportation. The prison is privately managed by Corrections Corp. of America, which has been put on probation while the investigation is conducted.

Several women who were held at T. Don Hutto detention facility in Taylor, Texas, were groped while being patted down and at least one was propositioned for sex, ICE said. "We understand that this employee was able to commit these alleged crimes because ICE-mandated transport policies and procedures were not followed," David Sanders, the Homeland Security Department's contracting officer said in a letter to Corrections Corporation of America obtained by The Associated Press.

Obama changed the Hutto facility from a family detention center to one holding only females because of past abuses such as prisoner neglect that resulted in the death of detainees. [More...]

"This case at Hutto, it's inevitable when you are dealing with such a massive web of detention with such little oversight," said Jacki Esposito, policy coordinator for Detention Watch Network, which monitors immigration detention centers.

Hale said ICE is working to prevent the guard under investigation from working again for the federal government and pursuing financial penalties against the company. It has also set up sexual harassment training for detention staff.

< AZ Immigration Protests Set for Tomorrow | DOJ Weighs in On Mandatory Minimum Sentences >
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  • Display: Sort:
    Corrections Corporation of America? (none / 0) (#1)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:10:01 PM EST
    Good gawd, that is just wrong on so many levels.  This is what we've come to--profiting off imprisonment?

    I'm sure this sick episode took place because the prison industry is over-regulated.  The free market will sort it all out.

    Come To? (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:14:02 PM EST
    This is what we've come to--profiting off imprisonment?

    Been going on for a loooooong time. Probably since the first jail was built in the good ole USA.  

    Just because it is in gubment's hands doesn't mean that the profit motive is removed.  America isn't called Prison Nation for nothing.

    Parent

    I have never heard of a government entity (none / 0) (#4)
    by oculus on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:24:03 PM EST
    profiting financially from incarcerating anyone.

    Parent
    Depends on how loosely... (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:31:27 PM EST
    ...you want to define "profit", I suppose.  Anyone's who ever worked for the government understands the ramifications of increase or decrease in funding.  Works like a profit motive in a lot of ways.

    Parent
    That is way too subtle for moi. (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:41:27 PM EST
    Do some history study of (none / 0) (#5)
    by BTAL on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:26:33 PM EST
    the British Navy.  

    Parent
    My impression of how this evolved in Texas (none / 0) (#8)
    by Rojas on Sat May 29, 2010 at 08:28:46 AM EST
    With the federal takeover of the state prison system a mandatory population limit of 80% of capacity was established. One of the escape valves in this situation was to house state prisoners in county jails. Of course the state reimbursed (paid) the counties for each day a state prisoner remained in their custody.

    The per diem rate was greater than the actual cost than the counties incurred. Ironically, this was largely due to the fact that counties had different standards they had to follow. They could stack 'em in like cord wood and they did.

    Counties throughout the state began to realize a great revenue source this opportunity provided. It was a birds nest on the ground. Bond issues were passed and counties expanded their jails. Carpe diem was a rallying cry by commissioner's courts throughout the state.

    Parent

    Sexual assault claims are also made (none / 0) (#3)
    by oculus on Fri May 28, 2010 at 07:20:58 PM EST
    against government employees staffing detention facilities.

    bad eggs (none / 0) (#9)
    by diogenes on Mon May 31, 2010 at 02:46:53 PM EST
    Is the point of this to fix the detention facilities or somehow to imply that if we weren't "immorally" detaining the undocumented then they would never be in a position to be sexually assaulted?