Northwest Detention Center Resistance: A Summary

742 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Jail reform improvement

The local Whatcom Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) chapter coordinated with the Northwest Detention Center Resistance (NWDCR) to gather local DSA members, DSA volunteers, and other prison reform-minded advocates to demonstrate against the Northwest Detention Center. The Northwest Detention Center Resistance meets in solidarity outside of the Northwest Detention Center most Saturdays from 8 to 11 A.M. and/or 1 to 4 P.M. and is an advocacy group that advocates for the shutdown of the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC), a center where undocumented immigrants are detained. The NWDCR is a volunteer community group so anyone is welcome and encouraged to join. The detainees held at the NWDC are kept in poor conditions, receive low pay, and substandard treatment. The demonstration was held outside of the Northwest Detention Center; a tour around the outside of the prison was given, while the individual leading the tour gave a speech about the different areas of the NWDC and the conditions the detainees were kept in. During the speech, prison guards had to open the gates to let an ambulance into the prison. The speaker informed us that …show more content…

The other side might also say that in addition to having no documentation being a crime in the eyes of the law, it also means that the undocumented individual is not a citizen of the United States, therefore, not privileged to the rights of the United States Constitution. They might argue that the NWDC is beneficial for society as it keeps undocumented immigrants for acquiring “American” jobs and reduces crime. These are just a few of the arguments that an opposing side may argue. Ultimately, the NWDCR Demonstration I attended did not acknowledge the other side of the argument, but the facts and evidence that they provided were

Show More
Related

  • Case Study Of Whistle-Blowing At Corcoran State Prison

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    legal action was their only recourse left. They filed lawsuits and soon Corcoran State Prison was in the public spot light. The F.B.I. would soon become involved a...

    Read More

  • A Lesson to be Learned: 40 Plus Years After Attica

    1199 Words  | 3 Pages

    What can be learned about the Attica Prison Riot that can benefit society today? This riot began a chain reaction that changed the way the corrections department of this country works. Society should care about this uprising because it set a precedent that molded the way this country controls its prison population. New procedures and precedents were set that are still in place today and may not have been created had the riot never happened. First, we will learn about the conditions of the prison before the riot. Then, we will learn the demands of the prisoners and why some guards and prison workers were treated more harshly than others. Next, we learn whether or not the New York officials acted in “good faith” or not and how they finally reclaimed the prison. Finally, we will learn whether New York officials acted ethically in blaming and whether or not the guards should be compensated for the hardships they endured during the uprising. Despite the horrific acts that occurred during the uprising, we can learn to avoid another situation like this based on the information that we now know.

    Read More

  • Jimmy Santiago Baca's A Place To Stand

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    His audience can see, from his initial introduction to language, to his cultural education, to his superiors’ reaction to his literacy, that Baca’s willingness to speak out, to write poetry, and to communicate are inherent acts of resistance and revolution, no matter how inconsequential they may seem at face value. As his memoir is a depiction of a real life, whether liberation is or is not achieved is up for debate (if liberation is achievable at all), but, through the use of language, Baca establishes the beginning of his resistance to many of the vicious cycles which marginalization can perpetuate, a form of resistance that will hopefully continue on to aid the generations that may follow in his footsteps. Through language, Baca finds his self-worth and is able to acknowledge the systematic injustices that have plagued and destroyed facets of himself, as well as most of his family. Though language does not provide the opportunity to entirely reconstruct what has been lost, it can act as a safeguard against the possibility of even more devastation. Thus, the existence of A Place to Stand is a form of resistance in itself. Just like other texts by incarcerated figures, such as Wall Tappings and Mother California, Jimmy Santiago Baca’s memoir is a staunch reminder that incarcerated men and women desperately and unequivocally believe they need to be

    Read More

  • Comparing the Treatment of Prisoners of War in the Andersonville and the Rock Island Prison Camp during the Civil War

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ethics and rules of war have been a fiercely debated topic for centuries. One facet of war that is particularly divisive is the treatment of prisoners of war. This investigation compares the treatment of prisoners of war in the Andersonville and Rock Island prison camps during the American Civil War. Andersonville and Rock Island are widely regarded as the harshest prison camps of the Confederate and Union armies, respectively. The conditions of each camp will be examined and compared using factors such as nutrition, living arrangements, habits of camp leaders, and death rates.

    Read More

  • The Rise of America’s Prison Empire

    1930 Words  | 4 Pages

    When envisioning a prison, one often conceptualizes a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers wandering aimlessly down the darkened halls of Alcatraz, as opposed to a pleasant facility catering to the needs of troubled souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in America and the debate continues as to whether or not an overhaul of the US prison system should occur. Such an overhaul would readjust the focuses of prison to rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of the current focuses of punishment and incarceration. Altering the goal of the entire state and federal prison system for the purpose of rehabilitation is an unrealistic objective, however. Rehabilitation should not be the main purpose of prison because there are outlying factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to accommodate additional inmate needs.

    Read More

  • The Society of Captives: A Study of a Maximum Security Prison

    1648 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gresham M. Sykes describes the society of captives from the inmates’ point of view. Sykes acknowledges the fact that his observations are generalizations but he feels that most inmates can agree on feelings of deprivation and frustration. As he sketches the development of physical punishment towards psychological punishment, Sykes follows that both have an enormous effect on the inmate and do not differ greatly in their cruelty.

    Read More

  • Attica Prison Riot and Prison Reform

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    We live in a society today filled with crime and fear. We are told not to go out after a certain hour, always move in groups, and even at times advised to carry a weapon on ourselves. There is only one thing that gives us piece of mind in this new and frightening world we live in: the American penal system. We are taught when growing up to believe that all of the bad people in the world are locked up, far out of sight and that we are out of reach of their dangerous grasp. Furthermore, the murderers and rapists we watch on television, we believe once are caught are to be forgotten and never worried about again. We wish on them the most horrible fates and to rot in the caged institution they are forced to call their new home. But, where do we draw the line of cruelty to those who are some of the cruelest people in our country? And what happens when one of this most strict and strongest institution our nation has breaks down? What do we do when this piece of mind, the one thing that lets us sleep at night, suddenly disappears? This is exactly what happened during and in the after effects of the Attica prison riot of 1971. The riot created an incredibly immense shift and change not only in the conditions of prisons, but also in the security we feel as American citizens both in our penal system and American government. The Attica prison riot brought about a much-needed prison reform in terms of safety and conditions for inmates, which was necessary regardless of the social backlash it created and is still felt today.

    Read More

  • Supermax Prisons: Harmful or Necessary?

    2471 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the 1970s, prison was a dangerous place. Prison violence and the high numbers of disruptive inmates led prison authorities to seek new ways to control prisoners. At first, prison staff sought to minimize contact with prisoners by keeping them in their cells for a majority of the day. As time went on, the prison authorities began to brainstorm the idea of having entire prisons dedicated to using these kind of procedures to control the most violent and disruptive inmates. By 1984, many states began construction on super-maximum prisons. In California, two supermax facilities were built by the state: Corcoran State Prison in 1988, and then Pelican Bay in 1989. The federal government soon followed suit and in 1994, the “first federal supermax opened, in Florence, Colorado.” It was not much longer before supermax prisons could be seen all over the country (Abramsky). In Wisconsin’s supermax facility, with similar conditions being found in a majority of supermaxes, there are “100-cell housing units” that are in groups of 25 cells. These cells all face a secured central area. Technology plays a major role in keeping the facility to the highest security standards. Every cell’s doors are controlled remotely and the cells include “video surveillance, motion detection and exterior lighting” (Berge). With these technological securities, there are also procedural precautions. Inmates are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day until their sentences are done. This is said to be for prisoner and staff safety, although some feel otherwise. In 2001, 600 inmates at Pelican Bay went on a hunger strike, demanding reform. Those on hunger strike believed that the isolation and deprivation they faced was against their Eighth Amendment rights. ...

    Read More

  • Prison Reform in the United States of America

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are too many people incarcerated in the United States of America. The U.S. imprisons 724 people per 100,000. In absolute numbers United States has more of its citizens behind bars then do China or Russia combined. (Gallagher 2008). There are about thousand U.S. citizens that become incarcerated in the prison system in any given week. Many of the prisons are so crowded that they have converted the gymnasium into a massive housing unit. These massive housing units hold hundreds of prisoners inside small gymnasiums. The bunk beds are stacked four or five high with every available space reserved for the bunk beds. Even though the prisons are over double capacity they have not added one extra toilet or shower at any of the facilities. Because of this many of the prisoners report tha...

    Read More

  • Path To Citizenship

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, others may disagree, but in addition to lacking nce their arguments are also insignificant. Although there is a controversy on this matter, America should welcome immigrants that are already here. Immigrants may earn legal status as well as cost just as much or less than deportation. But, so what? Why is this notable? Well, here’s why, the future is on the line and we have to take charge. If leading undocumented immigrants to a path to citizenship, includes all of the previously mentioned advantages, there is no point to do otherwise. If we don’t go through with this, imagine the troublesome possibilities, imagine the costs, imagine the risks. It is necessary to lead undocumented immigrants to a path to citizenship, and your help is needed. Share this essay, spread the outlook, get involved, and do what you can to make sure, we are where we need to be in our

    Read More

  • The Dehumanizing Effects of Solitary Confinement

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Some researchers estimate more than 80,000 prisoners are held in social isolation” (Lisee, Chris). At any given time, eighty thousand inmates are being stripped of humanity, not including those who may have already spent time in and been released from these torture chambers. Government Accountability also reported that as of May 2013, “… the population of solitary confinement increased faster than the general prison population between 2008 and 2013” (Rhodan, Maya). These statistics show that not only is solitary confinement still implemented, it is becoming more popular among prisons. One group, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, leads by example through their protest against solitary confinement. The group joined in on a “23-hour nationwide fast June 19 at a press conference in Washington following the first-ever congressional hearing on solitary confinement” (Chris Lisee). The duration of the fast symbolized the general number of hours prisoners are contained without any social interaction or movement outside of their cells. The protests of interest groups, although not yet nationally effective, are making an impact. In Colorado, reforms are in

    Read More

  • Has the Government Taken Our Rights Away?

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the United States of America was first formed, its citizens had many new rights and freedoms that they did not have in their motherland. Today; however, citizens of the United States do not share as many rights as the first immigrants had. A freedom that individuals think has been stripped away from them is the freedom to protest. This freedom has been restricted over time by the government who has set many rules and regulations on protesting laws. However, in society today, many wonder whether or not these restrictions are justified or if they break the constitutional rights of being an American.

    Read More

  • Problems with the American Prison System

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wilson, Rick. "The Growing Problems of the Prison System." American Friends Service Committee. American Friends Service Committee, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Outsourcing Inmates

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    About 70 protesters, calling them selves Families of New Hampshire Inmates, gathered outside the statehouse on March 15, 2004. The prison staff and families of inmates are concerned about Governor Benson’s plan to ship inmates out of state, which will also send jobs out of state (Inmate). Charlene Newman, a Massachusetts resident, insists it is irresponsible to make budget cuts to the Department of Corrections; it puts a strain on public safety. “If they send our families away, they are just warehousing them,” Newman said. “They are going to send them back to this community not reformed, and our communities are going to be unsafe” (qtd in Inmates). Another protester was Portsmouth’s mayor Evelyn Sirrell. Her son is in the state prison on a kidnapping sentence. “To sit in that room and watch the children, the wives, and the grandparents visit their loved ones is very warming,” Sirrell said. “I’ve been taking my 8-year old grandson to visit his father regularly, and his face just lights right up. To snatch that away just isn’t right. I’ll fight this, and fight it and keep on fighting it” (qtd in Manning). “There’s still a feeling that they are a throw-away society. But everybody makes mistakes, and we should give these inmates a chance to bounce back,” Sirrell said. “Separating them from there families will make it that much harder for them” (qtd in Manning). David Michaud, an inmate at Concord state prison, said the governor’s proposal is causing “anxiety” and “uncertainty” among the inmates. (CCA)

    Read More

  • Immigration Argumentative Essay

    749 Words  | 2 Pages

    People against illegal immigration think jobs are being lost, and this group has a growing voice in politics. The opposition against illegal workers feels it is eliminating opportunities for those who are already citizens. By permitting illegal immigrants to infiltrate this country, ignoring all of the procedures and systems that are in place to regulate it, it is indeed committing an unfair and biased way of dealing with immigrants. (West 428) The legalization of illegal workers currently in the U.S. is not a good resolution to the illegal immigration issue because it is not a durable solution.

    Read More

More about Northwest Detention Center Resistance: A Summary

Open Document