Bingo Betters Detention Centres

Bingo, yoga, cooking classes, movie nights an learning how to dance are all activites you would expect to find onboard a cruise ship, right?  Well these activities are part of a new programme to be introduced in American detention centres for illegal immirants to try and make them more humane. 

The proposal wants detainees treated with more respect, and also includes having access to legal materials, emails and phones, as well as receive computer training, and be able to learn arts and crafts, play bingo and exercise.  Other more controversial reforms proposed include eliminating lockdowns, allowing visitors to stay 12 hours per visit and allowing low-risk detainees to wear their own clothing.

However as expected this is not without controversy.  A letter signed by 19 members of Congress wants the Department of Homeland Security to confirm their approach to “soften” the detention centre facilities, as they are concerned that the taxpayer will be the one footing the bill.

US Representative Brian Bilbray said “The federal government doesn’t pay for Grandma and Grandpa to get these kinds of accommodations. I’d be damned if we ought to be talking about providing that for someone who is waiting for deportation.”

“This is exactly the kind of message you don’t want to send that people that are illegal in the United States are entitled to treatment better than U.S. citizens,” he said.

In response, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Lauren Mack wrote,” These reforms have been offered by ICE contractor CCA for consideration by ICE.  They are currently being evaluated and have not been implemented.  Any such reforms will not be funded at additional taxpayers expense. ICE is committed to making sensible reforms to its non-criminal detention system and will continue to consider reasonable approaches that seek to achieve those goals.”

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