Problems, Protests Continue at Etowah County Detention Center
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.
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Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
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Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
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The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
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Alabama’s racial, ethnic health disparities are ‘more severe’ than other states, report says
Data from the Commonwealth Fund show that the quality of care people receive and their health outcomes worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
