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Clicking through internet references that connect Rolling Plains prision to immigration detention, we ran across the painful story of Mahmoud Alafyouny. Fort Worth Weekly called his experience an “American Purgatory.” After more than two years in prison, Alafyouny was eventually deported. The story of Alafyouny’s plight drew sympathetic treatment from federal security screeners at TSA, because that’s where his wife Rae worked. Mahmoud and Rae were married in 2000, a full decade after Mahmoud’s college years in Jordan where he allegedly raised money for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). That was enough to tag him terrorist and get him deported under the Patriot Act, despite major media attention. As a result, Alafyouny’s case goes down in history as one of the clear cases of post-9/11 discrimination.–gm

The following clips from the Wyoming Department of Corrections provide perspective on the housing of prisoners at the Haskell, Texas Rolling Plains Prison. As of May 2006, Wyoming housed “162 male inmates and 57 female inmates” at Rolling Plains. Of three prisoners identified for escape or death, one was convicted of aggravated robbery, one of second degree murder, and one was serving life for first degree murder. Friends of the immigrant issue will be interested to see where the timeline begins–with the transfer of Wyoming prisoners out of T. Don Hutto Prison at Taylor, Texas to a private prison in Colorado.–gm
“Approximately 2,100 adult inmates are in the custody of WDOC, though due to a current shortage of housing space, nearly 800 of those inmates are
housed in non-department facilities. These include adult community corrections centers, out-of-state facilities, county jails, as well as a 100-bed
secure treatment facility in Casper. Nearly 5,500 offenders are being supervised in the communities on probation or parole.”
–“STATE OF WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY,” (July 1, 2005).

“Due to lack of room in Wyoming prisons, the WDOC currently houses some inmates out-of-state. Wyoming has 162 male inmates and 57 female inmates at Rolling Plains Regional Jail & Detention Center in Haskell, Texas; 301 male inmates at the Bill Clayton Correctional Facility in Littlefield, Texas; and 16 male inmates in West Texas Detention Center in Sierra Blanca, Texas.”
–“Disturbance Brought Under Control at Bill Clayton Detention Center, Texas,” WDOC Press Release (May 31, 2006).

“According to a spokesperson from the Rolling Plains Regional Jail & Detention Center in Haskell, Texas, Wyoming Inmate Joe Wilkinson gave himself up after about two hours following his escape. Mr. Wilkinson, 41, is serving 6 to 9 years for aggravated robbery, sentenced in Sweetwater County on September 20, 2002.

“Wyoming inmate Robert Dix, 25, serving a 45 year to life sentence for second-degree murder in Natrona County, was arrested at 7:20 pm April 16, by officers of the Stamford Police Department, according to Rolling Plains officials.”
–“Two Wyoming Inmates Arrested Following Escape from Texas Facility,” WDOC Press Release (April 17, 2006).

“Dale Geesaman, a Wyoming inmate at the Rolling Plains Regional Jail & Detention Center in Haskell, Texas, died on Thursday, April 13, 2006. He was serving his Wyoming sentence there due to lack of beds in Wyoming prisons. Mr. Geesaman was pronounced dead at Haskell Memorial Hospital. The cause of the unexpected death will be determined; however, no foul play was involved.

“Mr. Geesaman was convicted of first degree murder. Sentenced February 18, 1982 by Judge Terrence O’Brien in Campbell County, he was originally sentenced to a life sentence. In April 1994, Governor Mike Sullivan commuted the sentence to 90 to 95 years. Mr. Geesaman was born in Missouri on April 10, 1964.”
–“Wyoming Inmate Geesaman Dies in Texas,” WDOC Press Release (April 14, 2006).

“The first group of male inmates was transferred out-of-state in 1997. At that time they were moved to Texas because a closer facility was not available. Upon construction of the Crowley County facility, Wyoming contracted with the county a year ago in November 1998 and was able to move inmates from Texas to Colorado. The original Wyoming count in Colorado was 100.”
–“More Male Inmates Moved Out-of State Due to Overcrowding,” WDOC Press Release (Nov. 23, 1999).

“According to officials at the Wyoming Department of Corrections, the 97 Wyoming inmates housed at T. Don Hutto Correctional Facility in Taylor, Texas were transferred to the privately owned and operated Crowley County Correctional Facility35 miles east of Pueblo, Colorado on Saturday, October 31. The transfer was well within the time frame previously announced by Governor Geringer and Director Judith Uphoff on September 30, 1998. The inmates will be housed at Crowley pursuant to a contract between the DOC and Crowley County, Colorado.”
–“Wyoming Inmates Moved from Texas to Colorado Per Schedule,” WDOC Press Release (Nov. 2, 1998).

The Abilene Reporter-News updates the Hazahza case on the day when Homeland Security attorneys are scheduled to present their reasons for holding the family at the Rolling Plains prison in Haskell.

A short documentary by Sean Cunningham about one of the Hutto vigils will air on PBS Austin affiliate KLRU March 9 at 8pm.
The Texas Observer is also keeping up with Hutto and the ACLU challenge to imprionment of children.

The Stamford Star has posted a report by correspondent Jim Collins on the “Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free Walk” that passed through town last Friday.

The Culkin women at Red Peonies Blog find it difficult to think of John Neck as a sidekick. Oh, and they won’t be the last readers to howl at the way credits get skewed in our writeups. But they are better sports than some. Must be something in their upbringing. Check out the Red Peonies Blog.

Boston Globe, March 9

DSS to check on detainees sent to Texas:
Some workers’ children may lack care, officials fear

By Raja Mishra and Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

NEW BEDFORD — Massachusetts social workers will travel to a Texas detention center to check on scores of workers from New Bedford accused of being in the country illegally. They were flown there before Massachusetts authorities determined whether all their
children were receiving adequate care.
The development capped a day of sharp disagreement between Governor Deval Patrick and federal immigration officials over the high-profile raid Tuesday at Michael Bianco Inc. that netted 361 workers, most of them young and middle-aged Latino women. State and congressional officials asserted yesterday to the Bush administration that the detention of some of the workers was endangering their children.

Patrick, at a press conference, and later in a private conference call with Homeland Security officials, protested the decision to fly 90 of the detained workers from Massachusetts to Harlingen, Texas, before state social workers had a chance to inquire about their child-care needs, potentially leaving many children with inadequate care. Two young children were hospitalized yesterday for dehydration after
their nursing mothers were taken away, state officials said. Another 7-year-old girl called a state hot line seeking her detained mother. It was unclear last night where their mothers were.

“What we have never understood about this process is why it turned into a race to the airport,” Patrick said. “We understand about the importance of processing; we get that. But there are families affected. There are children affected.”…

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Siglo 21, 9 de marzo

300 guatemaltecos fueron arrestados Redada de indocumentados en New Bedford

Por Adriana Recchia

El martes pasado fue otro día de dolor y desesperación en la comunidad inmigrante tras conocerse la noticia que en alrededor de 350 trabajadores indocumentados, en su mayoría mujeres de origen centroamericano, habían sido arrestadas durante un operativo en la ciudad de New Bedford.

La empresa allanada por el ICE fue la compañía Michael Bianco Inc, que vende productos para unidades militares, entre ellos, chalecos antibalas y otros productos de cuero. El propietario de la firma, Francesco Insolia, de 50 fue acusado el martes de contratar trabajadores de indocumentados y explotarlos para poder cumplir a tiempo con un contrato que tenía con el Ministerio de Defensa cuyo
monto superaba los 91 millones de dólares.

Más de 300 de los arrestados son guatemaltecos. Este miércoles la redada fue la noticia de primera plana de los periódicos de Guatemala, país que se prepara para recibir la visita del presiente Bush dentro de tres días. Guillermo Castillo, embajador de Guatemala en Washington, y Rosa María Mérida de Mora, cónsul general en Nueva York, informaron que 100 de los guatemaltecos detenidos son mujeres.

Tras conocer la noticia, el cónsul Carlos Ávila se trasladó a New Bedford para entrevistarse con los detenidos e investigar su situación migratoria y familiar. Después de varias gestiones con las
autoridades de inmigración, el diplomático logró que fueran liberadas 28 mujeres, la mayoría de ellas madres, que no tenían quien cuidara a sus hijos…..