Hunger Strike at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma

Since March 7th a large number of detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma have been on a hunger strike, protesting conditions in the immigration detention facility. The strikers have given a list of demands to GEO, the private company that built and operates the immigration detention facility. On the 11th day of the hunger strike in Tacoma, detainees at another immigration detention center in Conrow, Texas also went on a hunger strike.

Music+Ideas host Sonya Green talks with three guests about the hunger strike and the for-profit detention center, run by the private corporation GEO Group.

Guests:

• Jose Moreno – A hunger strike organizer who was released from the detention center a week ago. He’s now part of the #Not 1 More campaign
• Maru Villalpando – one of three negotiators for the strikers and one of the coordinators for the #Not 1 More campaign in Washington.
• Jamie Trinkle – Coordinator for the Private Prison Divestment Campaign with ENLACE

Not1More  is planning a rally at the Northwest Detention Center Saturday, April 5th, to protest the conditions of the detainees and demand reforms. More information is also available on the Facebook page: Northwest Detention Resistance.