The Etowah County Detention Center has been under increasing scrutiny in recent months after complaints about poor inmate health care and a detainee hunger strike. The center is used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold unlawful immigrants. Over the weekend, protesters held a memorial service for Teka Gulema, a former inmate who died shortly after being released. For more on this story and others, WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley spoke with Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD. Patterson and Lindley also discussed the Birmingham History Center’s search for a new home.
Protesters Hold Memorial for Deceased Former Etowah County Detainee
Teka Gulema died after contracting an infection while in ICE custody at the Etowah County Detention Center. Protesters placed flowers on an empty coffin at a memorial service for Gulema on Sunday, February 28.