Grassroots Leadership Blog

Video of Notorious Texas Private Prison Auction

August 1, 2011 by Anonymous

SOLD: Five one-story air-conditioned buildings constructed of concrete block with a brick veneer and pitch seamed metal roofs with a capacity of 383 inmates in 5 housing pods, complete with dayrooms and other amenities. The buildings are contained behind a strengthened perimeter of double fences with an electronic shaker detection system and eight video surveillance cameras. Approximately 10 acres are contained within the fence. The facility also has a freestanding gymnasium, maintenance shed, armory and parking lot.

The Billy Clayton Detention Center was sold last week for $6 million to an anonymous buyer in an auction conducted by Williams & Williams Worldwide Real Estate Auction.

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Troubled West Texas prison to be auctioned tomorrow

July 27, 2011 by Bob Libal

UPDATE, July 28, 11:50am: the facility was sold apparently for $6 million to an unknown, online bidder. More info as we get it. [node:read-more:link]

Op. Streamline swells Latino representation in federal prison system

July 25, 2011 by Bob Libal

More Latinos are going to prison, and not because they are committing more crimes than they did in the past.

That’s the analysis behind an Associated Press (“More Hispanics go to federal prison,” June 4) article last month. The reason appears to be precisely the subject of this blog: Operation Streamline is driving more Latino immigrants into the criminal justice system and ultimately into federal prisons: [node:read-more:link]

Christian Century continues critical coverage of Op. Streamline in religious press

July 15, 2011 by Bob Libal

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Following the money, prison industry contributions to legislators

July 12, 2011 by Anonymous

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Judge Bernardo P. Velasco criticizes Operation Streamline, calls policy “maddening” and ineffective

July 6, 2011 by Bob Libal

Last week, the National Catholic Reporter ran an insightful and critical article on the impact of Operation Streamline (“A ‘maddening’ system, from courtrooms to shelters,” July 1st) in Tuscon, Arizona. The article starts with a typical description of the kind of “justice” provided under Streamline: [node:read-more:link]

Should Congress continue to throw even more money at Streamline?

May 24, 2011 by Bob Libal

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TRAC numbers confirm shift towards immigration prosecutions

February 13, 2011 by Bob Libal

A newly released report from TRAC shows what this blog has documented since its inception – a massive increase in the use of federal criminal prosecutions for border-crossers in districts along the border. Previous to Operation Streamline, most border-crossers would have been deported, but not criminally prosecuted.

Now, we are seeing record prosecutions for immigration violations while national prosecutions of other felonies have actually declined. According to the report from TRAC: [node:read-more:link]

Is Op. Streamline causing a “judicial emergency” in Arizona?

January 5, 2011 by Bob Libal

I found this article in the Arizona Daily Star (“Judge asks to delay felony trials,” January 5) to be interesting. It appears that Operation Streamline and an influx of cases in the Tuscon area generally is contributing to a crisis of sorts in the federal judicial system. Here are the highlights: [node:read-more:link]

Yuma sector to expand Op. Streamline

December 27, 2010 by Bob Libal

The Yuma Sun (“Yuma Sector expands Operation Streamline,” December 20) is reporting that the Yuma sector of the Border Patrol will expand Operation Streamline into the neighboring area of Ajo, [node:read-more:link]

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