Prison rebellion targets lack of medical care

Immigrant prisoners at the Reeves County Detention Center, a private prison in Pecos, Texas, took over the prison on Jan. 31 after they attempted to meet with prison officials regarding a seriously ill detainee being held in solitary confinement. When their demand that this prisoner be immediately taken to a hospital was ignored, a spontaneous rebellion began.

According to press reports in Mexico and the U.S., prisoners took over the guards’ radio communication equipment and took control of the prison, which houses 2,800 in a facility designed for 2,400.

Tear gas and rubber bullets were used against the prisoners. After a fire broke out, guards locked the prisoners inside and abandoned the prison.

Geo Group, based in Boca Raton, Fla., is the private prison contractor that runs the facility. Geo Group is the second-largest private prison contractor in the world. The company reported that the prisoners were “cooperative and compliant after protests began.”

However, a Feb. 1 CNN report entitled, “Texas riot quelled, inmates damage buildings,” claims there were at least three prisoners hospitalized, including one with severed fingers.

This was the second rebellion in as many months at the west Texas prison. Causes reported by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) are negligent medical care resulting in inmate deaths; rat, roach and insect infested kitchens and living areas; and punishment and ridicule for asking to see a doctor for life-threatening complaints.

Solitary confinement is routine for prisoners who request medical attention. According to the NNIRR, immigrant prison eyewitnesses report at least five prisoners have died and been removed from their cells in the last three months.

Medical negligence and abuse by guards and other staff have caused deaths. The rebellion is over but activists and civil rights advocates are demanding a complete investigation of the Reeves County Detention Center.

Formerly Wackenhut Corrections Corporation, Geo Group calls itself a world leader in the privatized management of corrections. According the company’s Web site, “The North American market is growing rapidly, and we are focused on expanding Federal procurement opportunities.” Geo Group reported raking in $1.024 billion in revenues in 2007, with net income totaling nearly $42 million.

The NNIRR sent out an Urgent Action Request asking people to make phone calls and send faxes to a number of offices, from the Reeves County sheriff to the Department of Homeland Security to congressional representatives. See www.nnirr.org.

The American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prisoner Project and the ACLU of Texas have issued an action alert which is at www.aclutx.org. They are calling for an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General “to determine not only the immediate cause of the riots but also the root cause.”