03.28.08

CCA’s Latest Maneuver

Posted in Commentary, T. Don Hutto, Taylor, Williamson County at 2:51 pm by wcnews

(Received via email)

Dear WCNews CCA is requesting that the Taylor ISD sign an agreement to house detainees on school property in case of an emergency. My belief is that TISD should not enter into any agreement with CCA as this is in in essence tacit approval of CCA’s treatment of detainees as prisoners. Families though detained in the same facility don’t all sleep in the same cell. It is a sad commentary that it will take an emergency evacuation so that children who aren’t in the same cells as their mothers to have an opportunity for families to be together. CCA is arguing that it pays a lot of school taxes which may be the case. But all property owners pay school taxes whether they have children or not. CCA’s school taxes would be the same if they were imprisoning convicted criminals or storing books there. So, Taylor ISD not only owes them nothing, but is generously 32 providing testing services at taxpayer expense while CCA rakes in huge profits. If TISD is willing to house detainees – even temporarily – why aren’t they as open to reaching out and providing an education to the children at T Don Hutto? You can read
more about this situation here. I sent the following letter in opposition to Dr. Bruce Scott at Taylor ISD…. Can you ask that others
do the same he can be reached at: bscott@taylor.isd.tenet.edu

Sincerely:

Jose Orta
Dr Scott – I want to voice my opposition to the proposed CCA/TISD Memorandum of Agreement to house detainees from T Don Hutto at the Old Middle School Gym in case of emergency evacuations at the T Don Hutto Detention Center. I believe that Correctional Corportion of America, a for profit multimillion dollar business, should not be looking for handouts from TISD. CCA has ample amount of funds to put detainees in a more family oriented residential facility such as a motel or hotel in case their prison is forced to evacuate. In fact, CCA readily admits this is there Plan B option if the evacuation last for longer than 2 or more days. By signing on to this memorandum TISD is in effect giving up evacuation space to a for profit corporation when it should make space available to families who may be in financial need and need shelter like Taylor saw in the Hurrican Katrina evacuations. I highly encourage TISD to pass on signing such an agreement.

Jose Orta
LULAC President Council 4721

Thanks Jose for letting us know about this
____________________________________

Permalink