Problems, Protests Continue at Etowah County Detention Center

| April 7, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/04/protest-etowah.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:460;s:6:"height";i:305;s:4:"file";s:26:"2016/04/protest-etowah.png";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"protest-etowah-336x223.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:223;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"protest-etowah-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"protest-etowah-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"protest-etowah-400x265.png";s:5:"width";i:400;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"protest-etowah-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Cody Owens
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WELD
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:778617;s:14:"optimized_size";i:274015;s:7:"percent";d:64.810000000000002;}s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:54:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/protest-etowah.png";s:13:"original_size";i:243599;s:14:"optimized_size";i:84595;s:7:"percent";d:65.269999999999996;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/protest-etowah-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:40002;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14648;s:7:"percent";d:63.380000000000003;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/protest-etowah-336x223.png";s:13:"original_size";i:132300;s:14:"optimized_size";i:46837;s:7:"percent";d:64.599999999999994;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/protest-etowah-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:151484;s:14:"optimized_size";i:52917;s:7:"percent";d:65.069999999999993;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/protest-etowah-400x265.png";s:13:"original_size";i:178649;s:14:"optimized_size";i:63115;s:7:"percent";d:64.670000000000002;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/protest-etowah-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:32583;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11903;s:7:"percent";d:63.469999999999999;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1675746467 
1460052755

Protesters gathered again last weekend at the Etowah County Detention Center, one of the nation’s most notorious holding pens. The center houses immigration detainees awaiting possible deportation. It’s been under fire in recent years for poor conditions and treatment of prisoners, and some even engaged in a hunger strike last year.

“The food is garbage,” one former Etowah detainee told WELD. “The portions are so small that you’re hungry 30 minutes after you eat…The inside looks proper, but we get locked down in cells for 16 hours a day. There is no sunshine in that place. There is no fresh air. Medically speaking, that can harm human beings. That kind of long-term detention will affect anyone. We didn’t know when we would be getting out. I’ve seen grown men cry. These aren’t criminals and they are being punished as slaves.”

Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, joins us for more on how current and former detainees describe conditions inside the facility.

 

Mariah Carey, coffee makers and other highlights from the Olympic opening ceremony

NPR reporters at the Milan opening ceremony layered up and took notes.

Trump’s harsh immigration tactics are taking a political hit

President Trump's popularity on one of his political strengths is in jeopardy.

A drop in CDC health alerts leaves doctors ‘flying blind’

Doctors and public health officials are concerned about the drop in health alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since President Trump returned for a second term.

Photos: Highlights from the Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Athletes from around the world attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan.

Alabama sets execution for man in auto parts store customer’s death

Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday set a March 12 execution using nitrogen gas for Charles “Sonny” Burton. Burton was convicted as an accomplice in the shooting death of Doug Battle, a customer who was killed during an 1991 robbery of an auto parts store in Talladega.

Trump posts racist meme of the Obamas — then deletes it

Trump's racist post came at the end of a minute-long video promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. 

More Front Page Coverage