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2007-02-05, 10:37 p.m.

i have been trying to put an entry up here for A WEEK.
freaking busy server.

so, shout out to alex, great time today.

and i have an article i wrote, that id like to share with you guys.

and i'll probably post a few others my groups been collaboratively writing . . .

Hearing that the Ibrahim family was recently let out of the T. Don Hutto residential facility was amazing news. I was so glad to hear that the family was finally reunited with their youngest member, and that they would finally be allowed to go home. But while we rejoice for the Ibrahim family, let’s not forget the other families still being held in the T. Don Hutto center. This past Sunday, I went to the T. Don Hutto Residential Facility with three other people, to provide the Hazazah family, and Rirache family with some aid, and financial support. Driving into the center, we were surprised by the harshness of the facility, fences lined with barbed wire. We were duly surprised by the rude manner of the guards as we entered the main building. They interrogated us about why we were there, and searched for every reason not to permit us to see the families. Eventually we were able to go through, and meet the families. While two of us went to speak to the Hazazah family, the other two went to speak to the Rirache family. I went to go speak to the Rirache family. We sat down across from each other, separated by a glass window, and speaking through telephones. I spoke to one of the sons of the family since his English was strongest, and the first thing he did was ask us why they couldn’t return to Canada. I wanted so badly to answer his question, but I really had no reasonable answer for him. I wanted to give him the number of someone who could help his family. We asked the guards to give the boy a pencil, so that we could give him the number, but no sooner did we ask then we were kicked out of the facility. The reason why is still unclear to me.
Our other two friends faired better with the Hazazah family. They gained more information from them, and were able to transmit some information to the Rirache family through them.
The stories of these two families aren’t the only ones either. The T. Don Hutto residential facility houses about 500 people, a majority of them children, forced to wear the dark green jail uniforms as soon as a pair can be found that fits. The so called ‘residential’ facility is supposed to be a safe place where families can stay together before appearing in court. This rarely holds true. Fathers are put in separate facilities, and in the case of the Ibrahim family, their 3 year old daughter was separated from the family.
The facility is one of two in the U.S. holding immigrant families in prison for non-criminal charges. What makes it even worse is that the facility is a for-profit jail, run by the Corrections Corporation of America. You can buy stocks with them.
It is certainly doesn’t give it the right though to treat inmates in the manner they do. There have been many reports of insufficient medical care, unhealthy food being served to the children, women being sent outside in 40 degree weather in nothing but the short sleeve jail uniforms, and only one hour of play allowed to the children outside in a day. Furthermore, the children are given minimal schooling, most of it inadequate.