Barrientos could either work for nearly nothing or lose access to
basic necessities, safety and privacy.
Settlement marks step toward ending abuses at for-profit immigrant
prisons
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Dwayne Fatherree Read the full piece here
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Friend,
In 2015, when Wilhen Hill Barrientos was sent to the Stewart Detention
Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, after seeking asylum in the U.S., he could
either work for nearly nothing or lose access to basic necessities,
safety and privacy.
He was told that if he refused, he would be placed in solitary
confinement. He also would not have enough money to pay for food or
costly phone calls to his family.
Barrientos ultimately worked in the kitchen, helping cook meals for up
to 2,000 people each day. He regularly worked eight- to nine-hour
shifts, seven days a week, and usually received $4 to $5 per day
- about 50 cents per hour. After he filed a grievance for being
forced to work while sick, he was put in medical segregation for more
than a month.
In 2018, Barrientos was one of several people detained at Stewart who
filed suit against CoreCivic, the for-profit company operating the
facility under a federal contract. The federal lawsuit
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was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Project South
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. The two organizations were later joined by pro bono counsel from the
law firm Perkins Coie LLP. The complaint
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describes violations of anti-trafficking laws that unjustly enriched
CoreCivic.
After five years of litigation, a settlement was reached last month as
the trial was set to begin.
As part of the agreement, CoreCivic will be required to notify all
detained immigrants participating in the work program at Stewart of
their rights, including their right to refuse to work. The document
provided to detained workers, written in both Spanish and English,
will state that they can't be forced to work and have the right
to prompt monetary compensation, relevant training, necessary safety
equipment and respect from staff.
"The declaration of rights is a call to action to those in
immigration jails to keep fighting for justice, and it makes clear
that they should not face the abuses that I suffered at
Stewart," Barrientos said.
Read More
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In solidarity,
Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy,
strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of
all people.
Friend, will you make a gift to help the SPLC fight for
justice and equity in courts and combat white supremacy?
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