澳彩开奖

ATLANTA聽鈥� This week the parties reached a settlement in a forced labor case against CoreCivic, Inc. (CoreCivic), the private prison company that operates Stewart Detention Center (Stewart) in Lumpkin, GA, for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The settlement resolves the claims of three individuals formerly detained at Stewart. The plaintiffs allege that CoreCivic forced them to work for as little as $1 per day in Stewart鈥檚 so-called 鈥淰oluntary Work Program鈥� (Program) under threat of deprivation of basic necessities and punishment, including solitary confinement, in violation of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

The plaintiffs 鈥� represented by the聽澳彩开奖听(厂笔尝颁),听聽and pro bono counsel,聽聽鈥� also allege that CoreCivic was unjustly enriched by the plaintiffs鈥� forced labor. Instead of offering those jobs to outside workers from the community for a living wage, CoreCivic relied on the nearly free labor of plaintiffs, and hundreds of other detained workers, to operate Stewart.

The settlement requires CoreCivic to provide a document to every detained person at Stewart who elects to participate in the Program that declares their rights as workers, stating:

• They cannot be forced to work and can refuse to work at any time.
• They have the right to receive:
  • Prompt monetary compensation for their work
  • Relevant training
  • Necessary work wear and safety equipment
• Respect from facility staff
• CoreCivic will make the document available to all detained workers in English and Spanish and will provide additional interpretation, as necessary.

The settlement also provides additional, confidential benefits to the individual plaintiffs.

鈥淭he declaration of rights is a call to action to those in immigration jails to keep fighting for justice, and it makes clear that they should not face the abuses that I suffered at Stewart," said聽Plaintiff Wilhen Hill Barrientos.

鈥淭his settlement is the result of the bravery of the Plaintiffs who, after surviving horrendous conditions and treatment at Stewart, were determined to fight for change so that no other detained person would have to suffer the same experience,鈥� stated聽Meredith Stewart, senior supervising attorney at the 澳彩开奖鈥檚聽Immigrant Justice Project. 鈥淭he intentional obscuring of rights in immigrant detention allows abuse and exploitation to flourish. The settlement document is a bill of rights for detained workers at Stewart and a tool for workers to advocate for justice beyond this one facility.鈥�

Wilhen Hill Barrientos, et al., v. CoreCivic, Inc.聽is one of three forced labor cases against CoreCivic. There are over half a dozen forced labor cases against other ICE private prison operators, including The GEO Group, Inc. and LaSalle Corrections. The ostensibly voluntary work programs at ICE detention centers are a key component of the private prison companies鈥� business model 鈥� the industry would not be nearly as profitable without them.

鈥淭his settlement is only the first step in the long struggle towards justice for survivors of forced labor and other human rights violations at this notorious ICE prison,鈥� said聽Azadeh Shahshahani, Legal & Advocacy Director at聽. 鈥淲e will not rest until Stewart is shut down and until ICE and the private prison corporation CoreCivic are fully held to account for more than a decade of systematic abuse against migrants.鈥�

鈥淚t was a privilege to work on this matter with our colleagues at non-profit organizations dedicated to assuring that all people impacted by the U.S. immigration system, and in particular individuals detained in civil detention centers operated by for-profit companies, are treated with dignity and respect,鈥� said聽Alan Howard, partner at聽.

BACKGROUND:

• 澳彩开奖 Sues Private Prison Company that Uses Forced Labor of Detained Immigrants to Boost Profits聽(April 17, 2018)聽
• 澳彩开奖 Statement on Court鈥檚 Denial of Class Certification in Lawsuit Challenging Forced Labor in Immigrant Detention Center聽(March 30, 2023)聽
• 'The epitome of greed': Private Prison Corporation Asks Immigrants to Bear Cost of Their Detention聽(August 7, 2020)

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