Chris Christie’s Texas horror: Meet the scandalous prison company he’s long promoted

[DonViejo]

A corporation Christie's lobbied for and long pushed runs notorious detention center with a slew of vocal opponents

JOSH EIDELSON

A controversial company promoted by Chris Christie runs an immigrant detention center in Texas slammed by advocates as one of the nation’s worst. The facility is used by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to house immigrant detainees who are seeking asylum in the United States.

And, noting Christie’s “long and very close relationship with Community Education Centers,” the private company running the facility for ICE, one critic told Salon, “I think it’s time people start asking questions, because this company’s practices are not confined to New Jersey.”

“I’ve visited a bunch of detention facilities in Texas, and that’s by far the worst,” said the opponent, Bob Libal, who directs the prison reform group Grassroots Leadership and visited the Polk County Adult Detention Center with other activists in 2012 and 2013. His allegations echo a 2012 report from the Detention Watch Network, a coalition including the ACLU and the American Immigration Lawyers Association as well as Libal’s group: “Inadequate medical care, poor nutrition, lack of access to legal services, absence of meaningful programming, and a willful neglect of those who are imprisoned there plague the Polk detention center.”

Spokespeople for Christie and for CEC did not provide comment in response to Thursday inquiries.

more
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/24/chris_christies_texas_horror_meet_the_scandalous_prison_company_hes_long_promoted/

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. Community Education Centers? ...

Tell me I'm reading this wrong; but a company operating a PRISON, erm ... Detention Center, is name "Community Education Centers."

How Orwellian.

[madashelltoo]

2. I was wondering when his connection

To deplorable prisons would surface. It was all ignored when it was reported to be happening in New Jersey.

[kairos12]

3. It would nice in the future if Christie and his staff could become consumers of

correctional services.

[CTyankee]

4. I would like to think that this story would resonate with the voters but I just don't think it will.

So many people just don't give a shit about prisoners/detainees unless they are one or are related to one who has been abused.

How sad...