Jared Daniels
Staff Writer
Immigrants detained at CoreCivic worked, maintaining the privately owned prison for a dollar a day. The little pay, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, was part of CoreCivics plan to maximize its profits at the detaining facility.
“It seems concerning to me on a number of levels, on a humanitarian level and on a fairness level,” said Eric Wodahl, an associate professor in the criminal justice department at the University of Wyoming and a former probation officer overseeing the Cheyenne Transitional Center.
One detainee, Wilhen Hill Barrientos, recounted the events of living in one of CoreCivic’s facilities. Barrientos was a Guatemalan seeking asylum in the United States. Barrientos was paid 50 cents an hour when he worked in the kitchen. If he refused to work, he lost phone privileges and was either sent to solitary confinement or a dormitory containing many fights.
“Detainees are subject to no disciplinary action whatsoever if they choose not to participate in the work program,” said Amanda Gilchrist, the Public Affairs Director for CoreCivic. Gilchrist said they deliver the same care and provide a safe, humane environment.
Currently, Barrientos is in an active case against CoreCivic for their actions against immigrant detainees. This case was filed against CoreCivic on April 17, 2018.
“It’s concerning, even with little information about the case,” said Wodahl.
The dollar the immigrants earned was then spent on basic necessities in the facilities commissary. Detainees could also earn the basic necessities by performing tasks CoreCivic would otherwise hire outside professionals to fulfill such as cooking for other detainees or cleaning the facility. The Southern Poverty Law Center claimed this created a large profit increase for CoreCivic.
One of CoreCivics policies on what they do is providing access to any needs the detained immigrants would have. However, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, rights and needs including clothing, hygiene and food could be taken away if they refused to work.
CoreCivic also threatened immigrants with solitary confinement if they would not work.
CoreCivic is a large company with 125 different correction and detention management facilities throughout the United States. CoreCivic owns a corrections center in Cheyenne, Wyoming which mainly acts as a transitional center for incarcerated persons. CoreCivic has partnered with the government for more than 30 years and say they have a cost effective and flexible partner. CoreCivic also partners with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has 500 ICE officials to their eight ICE facilities.
“All work programs at our ICE detention facilities are completely voluntary and operated in full compliance with ICE standards,” said Glichrist. Gilchrist said they do not comment on open litigations.
CoreCivic does not provide healthcare to the immigrants. The ICE Health Service Corps will provide these services to immigrants instead in most cases. The company also claims to be flexible and an important private contractor to the government.
“I think it’s problematic any time there is for profit facilities because of questions like this,” said Wodahl. Wodhal said people will have to see whether it is legal or not depending on what the courts rule.
