Setting the record straight on Newt Gingrich

Today the 270 View is going to discuss and set the record straight on Newt Gingrich's horrible ideas for reforming immigration. The reality is that this guy is really clueless and probably should of dropped out of the presidential race a long time ago. While he casts himself as a contender for the White House the reality is that he has next to no chance of making it onto the ballot against Barack Obama. I suppose if meteorites struck all of the current candidates who actually had a chance (and no one else then decided to enter the race) then he might have a chance but lets be honest that is not going to happen. Regardless though we are going to discuss a few of his less than stellar ideas on immigration today.

First off Mr. Gingrich feels that undocumented youth should serve in the military in order to receive citizenship. As a military veteran myself it is ironic that candidate Gingrich feels this way when he sought out and received a military service deferment in order to not have to serve in the United States military during the Vietnam conflict. During this conflict many Wiregrass citizens chose to voluntarily join or were drafted into military service while people like Mr. Gingrich took a less dangerous path by dodging the obligation that others felt in serving. So how is it that Mr. Gingrich wishes to push military service onto undocumented youth when he himself as a legal citizen took steps to circumvent having to serve? With both the current conflicts in the middle east (Iraq & Afghanistan) ending the military is entering a period of down sizing. So it is debatable that the military even needs new recruits in numbers larger than it already could attract when people who possibly want to be in uniform might be phased out as the military shrinks over the next few years. Perhaps Mr. Gingrich is aware of this and just sees referring immigrants to non-existing work in the military as a way of not really having to offer an actual pathway to citizenship in any real or meaningful numbers.

Following the rampant and well documented abuses in the current for-profit detention system by companies like Corrections Corporation of America and the Geo Corporation it is worth noting that Mr. Gingrich favors expanding the monetization of undocumented workers by handing management of a guest worker program over to companies like American Express, Visa, or MasterCard. Mr. Gingrich does not seem to understand that human beings are not commodities that can be used to increase corporate profits. The current for-profit detention model is a failure and this laughable and misguided idea of his would also be doomed to failure and a huge waste of tax payer provided funds.

With ideas like these one can clearly see that Newt Gingrich is out of touch with any real ideas on immigration reform. He remains opposed to the Dream Act and instead sees ways of expanding the ability for private corporations to cash in on undocumented immigrants. Currently it is pretty obvious that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is doing a horrible job in this country. But does Newt Gingrich really have such little faith in ICE that he would remove them from large parts of the immigration system and instead replace them with even more corporations who could then profit off of immigration and the taxpayers instead of simply reforming current ICE policies.

The United States Government Is Still Monitoring Those Who Stand Against Civil Rights Abuses

As we get ready to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr's birthday it is very disturbing and ironic to note that Reuters news service has just reported on how the United States government is currently engaged in a "Social Networking/Media Capability program." This program monitors blogs, forums and social networks. According to the Reuters story this has been going on for at least the past 18 months. Some of the blogs being monitored wrote about civil rights issues such as my own blogs detailed postings on the long overdue need for immigration and detention reform.

Many of you are probably aware that Martin Luther King Jr. himself was also investigated by the United States government. The government engaged in serious attempts to discredit Martin Luther King Jr. in response to the progress he was making towards African-American civil rights in this country as well as his speaking out against the Vietnam War. Now I'm not trying to imply that the work of any of these bloggers or news media outlets came even remotely close to the very important and huge contributions that Martin Luther King made to civil rights. I'm just trying to say that all these years later are government still apparently feels the need to investigate and monitor groups that challenge or report on issues like civil rights abuses.

Later today or tomorrow I will write about the Department of Homeland Security investigation into myself that I believe was part of this newly discovered monitoring program. I will also be sharing with you how I believe I came to the attention of this program.

The actual Reuters news story referenced above can be found here.

A Suicide Attempt and Multiple Suicide Threats at CCA's Stewart Detention Center

"The 270 View" Internet blog has been informed that on Friday the Sixth of January, 2012 a Haitian detainee attempted to hang himself at the Stewart Detention Center. We have also been told that two (2) other detainees threatened suicide. The Stewart Detention Center is a for-profit detention center ran by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) that is located in Lumpkin, GA. The Stewart Detention Center currently has a contract with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to hold more than 1,800 immigration detainees. "The 270 View" Internet blog directly contacted Stewart Detention Center staff members to attempt to find out the facts regarding these incidents. One CCA staff member told us that they were not at the Detention Center when the suicide attempt was made. We were then transferred to the facilities supervisor on duty (Lieutenant Tompkins) who informed us that he had 'No comment." When asked who we could contact for details regarding this incident or if the facility had a media spokesperson who we could speak with regarding this incident he repeatedly stated 'No Comment." One can only wonder what exactly was going on at this Detention Center today that would apparently lead to multiple suicide threats and at least one rather serious suicide attempt. In our opinion these incidents could very well be a sign of more major problems at the Stewart Detention Center. The CCA ran Stewart Detention Center has previously had a history of unresolved medical problems that led to the death of at least one detainee Roberto Medina-Martinez. We do not belief that "No comment" is a satisfactory answer to are questions or concerns regarding these very troubling and serious incidents at a facility that is paid with tax-payer money. We will provide updates on this situation as we receive them and will be following this situation very closely.

All opinions expressed here are just that. Please cross check anything you read before forming your own opinion.

Part 2: Is Being Transgendered a Crime to Corrections Corporation of America?

During last months fifth annual "Shut Down the Stewart Detention Center" rally I very briefly spoke about a transgendered detainee at Corrections Corporation of America's (CCA) Stewart Detention Center (SDC) who was locked down in the facilities segregated housing unit. When I spoke at the rally I had no idea of the human rights abuses that had also been committed at CCA's Eloy Detention Center against a transgendered immigrant being detained there.

It's interesting to me that both detainees were held in a segregated housing unit setting. In the case of the transgendered detainee being held at the Stewart Detention Center I know for a fact that she was locked down in a segregated housing unit cell for a very prolonged period of time for no offense other than her lifestyle. Let there be no doubt that this happened as I was present and a witness to the events that took place. Knowing what I personally observed as having happened at CCA's Stewart Detention Center I can not help but wonder if this was also to a certain extent the same thing that was going on at CCA's Eloy Detention facility. If this is what is actually going on here then that would mean that Corrections Corporation of America is in effect locking transgendered detainees up in segregated housing unit's for no offense other than leading an alternative lifestyle.

Legally even in Detention facilities and prisons hearings must take place if detainees are deprived of rights and placed in disciplinary confinement for extended periods of time. Usually some sort of rule violation or crime is required to of happened. I'm very much aware of the pattern of abuse in disciplinary and confinement hearings that took place at CCA's Stewart Detention Center. It would be very interesting to see just what basis CCA used to lock these individuals up in the most restrictive and confining of available housing units. Is this yet another example of the abusive disciplinary procedures that are or were in effect at the Stewart Detention Center? Is being transgendered a confinable "crime" or disciplinary offence in CCA ran facilities?

As we discussed in yesterdays post proper supervision of detainees would in effect mean that personal lifestyles would probably not matter to the degree that they apparently did at one (or more) CCA for-profit run Detention Centers. Transgendered individuals in the United States are a very small minority group and yet these individuals manage to have a place in many other government controlled or influenced settings. Some local schools have dealt with transgendered students and as far as i'm aware it's not acceptable for these schools to just lock them away from other students in an in-school detention room. I also can't imagine a US city in current times that would task it's police department with rounding up all the transgender individuals to some sort of local transgendered internment camp. With this in mind I have to ask myself what makes it acceptable for Corrections Corporation of America to apparently behave this way? I guess if CCA is unable to adequately supervise and provide for the safety of transgendered individuals then perhaps it needs to stop taking taxpayer money for detaining them.

All opinions expressed here are just that. Please cross check anything you read before forming your own opinion.

Part 1: Documented Abuse of A Trangendered Detainee in a CCA Prison

On Monday a lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Transgendered detainee who was the victim of intolerable acts while being held at Corrections Corporation of America's (CCA) Eloy Detention Center.

In the worst of the incidents detailed in the lawsuit, Justin Manford a CCA Detention Officer at CCA's Eloy Detention Center, is alleged to of "maliciously forced the transgendered detainee to watch him masturbate into a white Styrofoam cup and then demanded that she ingest his ejaculated semen." Keep in mind that at this point there is absolutely no doubt that unacceptable things happened to this immigrant while she was being detained at CCA's Eloy Detention Center. After all on June 8, 2010 Manford was convicted of the crime of "Attempted Unlawful Sexual Contact" for his victimization of the transgendered detainee in question while he was employed by Corrections Corporation of America.

We have previously reported several times on the record levels of sexual assaults in Corrections Corporation of America's (CCA) for-profit prisons and detention centers. Sadly this trend is continuing. In fact one could quite effectively argue that this is not a trend but is instead a widespread and systemic pattern of sexual assaults and abuse. It is this former CCA employees belief that this is caused by a for-profit corporation that places profits above adequate supervision levels of both detainees and CCA's employees. How else does one explain the sexual activity that seems so prevalent at CCA's detention centers and prisons? How does someone masturbate into a cup on a job site and there is no co-workers around to notice? Could this happen where you work? Is your job site a controlled environment where supervision is the proven key ingredient to stopping most the major problems that could happen? It is my personal belief that this is because CCA has set staffing levels at minimal levels in order to reap higher profits while providing minimal or non-existent supervision to both detainees and employees. Incidents like this are perhaps a consequence of Corrections Corporation of America's own policies and practices that led to the low levels of supervision in the first place.

I am a very unlikely advocate for gay rights, I don't think I have ever known anyone that identified with this type of belief. But to me that's inconsequential. What we are talking about here is basic human rights. I would also argue that the undeniable patterns of sexual abuse we are seeing within Corrections Corporation of America prisons and detention centers is a natural progression of the government turning a blind eye to CCA's proven track record of being a leader in the sexual abuse of detainees and prisoners.

All opinions expressed here are just that. Please cross check anything you read before forming your own opinion