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The Town of Southwest Ranches, Corrections Corporation of American (CCA), and DHS / ICE want to build one of the largest immigration detention centers in the nation within walking distance of thousands of homes; thus, reducing the quality of our life and our community. We do not agree with the federal government privatizing our immigration detention centers throughout the nation when there is clear evidence that privatizing our prisons creates a clear public safety threat. For ICE to continue to privatize these institutions and bring this safety threat through their "secure communities Initiative" to our community is unacceptable. Depriving someone of their liberty is a non-delegable governmental function and privatizing of such a function is infecting our nation like a virus.

The Town of Southwest Ranches has now entered into it's THIRD Fire Contract within the last year now with the Town of Davie, costing taxpayers $120,000 in ramp up fees. They are now closing several roads in western Southwest Ranches charging the tax payers $80,000 for the gates. They have paid an unknown amount of money for lobbying with ICE regarding this prison. They have several lawsuits against the Town, 1- Involving Open Meeting Violations on a November 5th meeting concerning the ICE Detention Center, 2- Open Records Violations, and 3- The Town is putting together a lawsuit to sue Pembroke Pines for breach of contract because the City utilized their exit clause and cancelled for convenience their Fire/EMS contract which included water and sewer at the last minute for the CCA prison. In the contract it states that there should be no third party beneficiaries. CCA would be a third party in this instance.

CCA has also filed suit in Federal court against the City of Pembroke Pines saying they are denying them water however the City had never seen a water application. The City did file for a Declaratory Judgement in State Court but that has been put on hold until the Federal Court hears the suit from CCA.

Is ANYONE CONFUSED as to why the Pembroke Pines/Southwest Ranches Fire Agreement was cancelled? The Town Attorney Keith Poliakoff attempted to "slip" into the agreement a portion that guaranteed water for the prison at CCA's request. This is something that should have been brought up separately. CCA should have brought it forward on their own in a water application. This is sleight of hand that CCA and the Town attempted to do because they were so afraid of CCA being on the Pembroke Pines agenda.

As of June 2012, ICE put out a statement that the site selection was no longer needed due to the fact that the extra bedspace was no longer needed. READ UPDATE HERE!


Monday, April 23, 2012

Elementary School Student Opposition Artwork

A couple of weeks ago I received an image from a nearby elementary school in Weston, Manatee Bay Elementary.  I guess they were drawing about things they didn't need and the student felt the urge to express their opposition and draw about the Southwest Ranches ICE Prison.


It says "NO JAIL!  People need new homes, But people don't need new jails! We need to bail the jail! Do the right thing!" It pictures a person behind bars wearing a striped jumpsuit saying "Let Me Out!"

Isn't it sad that children have to draw about this?  There is a petition circulating at this elementary school with over 100 student signatures that was presented at one of the Southwest Ranches Town Council meetings so that must be how the word is getting around to all of the students.  It's good to see these children are expressing their first amendment rights just like their parents are.

Will this simple message of how we don't need more prisons in this country and how it's unacceptable that the amount of prisons in this country has grown exponentially get through to our lawmakers??  It is a sad state our country has come to where we lock people up for profit instead of educating them...  Instead our legislators are busy accepting special interest money for their reelection campaigns.

Our founding fathers would be so proud of the country they helped create.  Are you?
If not, get involved in this non-partisan issue effecting our community and start making a difference... Take Action!

By: Ryann Greenberg
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1 comment:

  1. Rosella, WestonApril 28, 2012 at 9:17 PM

    Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a woman and a mother, yet she isnt considering the dangers of having a prison like this near our schools and children. As a woman, mother and democrat, I can no longer support Debbie. She used to have promise; Im not sure what happened.

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