February 27, 2008 - Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CO)

Walk To Stop ICE Detention Facility

OPPOSE the construction of a new immigrant detention center in Aurora!

March 1, 2008, Aurora, CO. 11:00 AM at the Colorado Progressive Coalition office, 1600 Downing St., Suite 210, Aurora, CO. OPPOSE the construction of a new immigrant detention center in Aurora! For more info, contact Pam at pam@ccjrc.org, or see www.progressivecoalition.org or www.ccjrc.org

The GEO Group, one of the nation's largest private prison corporations wants to build a new 1,100 bed immigrant holding facility in Aurora.

The Aurora Planning Commission will vote on the proposal to build this facility March 12. If you would like to help stop this facility from being built:

1. Contact Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition at chandrarusso@gmail.com with your name and/or organization to sign on to the petition (below).

2. Contact the Planning Commission directly, along with the Mayor and Aurora City Council, and tell them to oppose the detention center. Their email addresses:

• schapel@auroragov.org
• citycouncil@auroragov.org
• etaur@auroragov.org
• rrpeters@auroragov.org

3. Personalize and print this petition as a letter to be sent to:

Planning Commission Members, Aurora Mayor and City Council
c/o Susan Chapel
15151 E. Alameda Parkway, 2nd floor
Aurora, CO 80012

4. Join us on Saturday, March 1 at 11 a.m. at the Colorado Progressive Coalition, 1600 Downing St. We will meet to review strategy, talk about how to engage safely and respectfully. We will then drive out to Aurora to flyer. If you are unable to make it to this event but know others that might, please forward this message to them.

THE PETITION:

Planning Commission Members
c/o Susan Chapel
15151 E. Alameda Parkway, 2nd floor
Aurora, CO 80012

Cc: Aurora Mayor and City Council

Dear Planning Commission Members,

As you may know, the GEO Group, a billion dollar corporation, wants to build a new 1,100 bed immigrant holding facility inAurora. This facility will hurt our community and lead to great suffering while putting millions of tax dollars into the pockets of a destructive corporation.

We strongly urge you to OPPOSE the construction of a new immigrant detention center in Aurora when it comes up for hearing on March 12.

Here is why:

* Detention hurts asylum seekers and other victims of torture and trauma Torture survivors, victims of trafficking, and other vulnerable groups can be detained for months or even years, further aggravating their isolation, depression, and other mental health problems associated with the horrors they have experienced.

* Conditions in detention are atrocious Detention centers across the country have prevented men, women and children access tophones and food. Several people held in immigration detention have died because they did not receive basic medical care. The GEO Group was forced to close detention centers after the US Justice Department sued for "abuse and neglect," "life threatening conditions," and sexual assault of children.

* Private prisons profit off of misery GEO is expecting $30 million a year in profits for its new Aurora facility. GEO has a vested interest in having sufficient men, women and children to fill its beds. To GEO, they're not people, they're profits- at $95 per person per day. To this end, the GEO group has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to ensure elected officials push for policies that benefit GEO- more detentions nation-wide

* A detention center can become a poorly run state or federal prison almost overnight The GEO Group has not been granted an immigration contract for its proposed Aurora facility, meaning it could be used as a prison. Private prisons have been shown to cut corners, have inadequate staffing levels and receive little government oversight.

As decision makers for Aurora, we trust you will make choices that strengthen our communities and enhance our way of life. We believe you will support development that enriches our neighborhoods and maintains our values.

Building one of the country's largest immigration detention center in Aurora does neither of these things. It is an affront to communities, families, workers and tax-payers. We trust you will not allow this detention center to be built.