Rep. Watson Coleman Statement on Poor Conditions at Delaney Hall, Food Shortages, Detainee Escapes
Today, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) issued the following statement regarding substandard conditions at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, including food shortages, contaminated water, and physical weaknesses in the building structure which reportedly allowed detainees to escape.
“Mayor Baraka was right to question the conditions of Delaney Hall. Greater oversight of our detention facilities is clearly needed, and Congress should immediately investigate GEO Group’s other facilities and contracts.
“Taxpayers, who footed the bill for GEO Group’s $1 billion contract for Delaney Hall, were ripped off by a corporation whose executives maxed out donations to Trump’s campaign and have been richly rewarded with contracts they clearly are not qualified for or capable of executing.
“The failures at this facility have laid bare the corrupting influence of the private prison industry on our justice system and immigration policies.
“My team and I will continue to monitor this situation as it unfolds.”