500 signatures reached
To: The GEO Group
Implement House Bill 1470: Enforce measurable standards of living in the Northwest Detention Center
This petition demands implementing facility inspections for measurable living standards under House Bill 1470 and for the GEO group to be held accountable for human rights abuses that occur in the Northwest Detention Center.
We call for the GEO Group, the private company that manages the NWDC, to allow the DOH to inspect the NWDC. Blocking DOH from inspecting the detention center clearly shows that human rights are being violated inside. Additionally, we demand that the people detained are treated humanely. Access to interpretation services, clean clothing, and personal hygiene matters. Abuse should never be tolerated. More specifics of what basic needs are needed can be found in La Resistencia’s Link Tree via their Instagram @laresistencianw.
Why is this important?
House Bill 1470 will establish measurable standards that must be met upon unannounced inspections of the Department of Health, as the North West Detention Center currently has none. When detainees currently living in the NWDC facility were asked what these measure standards should be, their answers were disheartening, as it was clear basic human standards of living were not being met. Detainees requested laundry services be available at least twice a week and that the clothes they received be new and their own. Detainees have reported that the clothes they receive in the facility are soiled and often mixed with other detainees' clothes. Standards for personal hygiene still need to be met, as detainees are given a travel-size toothbrush, which individuals have stated only holds up for a few brushes. Detainees repeatedly noted the consideration for better treatment. Responses were “Better treatment, we are not animals” and “Humane and dignified treatment.” Detainees are told as they enter the detainment facility that it is not a prison, yet their personal belongings are confiscated. It’s not a prison, yet they are held against their will for years without seeing a day in court. While the Washington state legislature passed a law mandating the facility's closure, this was later deemed unenforceable. So, we must ensure that detainees living in this facility have access to sustainable living conditions that are regularly inspected and enforced.