Prison protest rekindles expansion fight

City Councilmember James Sanders, Jr. has resumed his fight against an existing prison facility in Springfield Gardens, staging a march to protest the expansion of the federal criminal warehouse located a mere four blocks from Springfield Park and many residential homes.
The facility, located at 182-22 150th Street, was once the Wackenhut Immigration Detention Center, which housed undocumented immigrants from John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport, it now houses up to 220 detainees awaiting trial on federal charges.
The owners of the prison, the Geo Group, Inc. a private correctional and detention management firm, who have managed the facility since 1995, purchased an adjacent warehouse to expand the prison by approximately 100 beds.
In June 2005, they obtained a two-year contract to retain inmates held for federal offenses. They were granted an additional one-year extension on July 1.
The August 19 protest drew just 25 demonstrators. It's been six months since the initial protest, as Sanders says that he conceded the fight against the prison to Congressmember Gregory Meeks.
&#8220My political elders came to me and said that there was a better way, there was a better way to foreclose this prison. That they needed to lead this fight, they knew a way. I listened to them and the fight disappeared, next thing I know the prison contract was extended. I have to apologize to you, I never should have taken that path,” Sanders told the group of demonstrators.
Sanders says that he understands the role of a prison; it just should not be three blocks from peoples' homes. He says that there are warehouses at JFK airport that are unused and would require minimal effort to transform for Geo's purposes.
As for criminals escaping from the prison and infiltrating the residential community, Walter McCaffurey, a community consultant for Geo Group, Inc. states that the detention center houses only &#8220minimal risk folks,” not violent offenders. The inmates' crimes include transporting drugs, bank fraud, and &#8220white collar” offenses, with an average stay of three months.
McCaffurey admits that Geo was remiss by failing to notify the community of plans to expand the prison, but has since &#8220shelved” their plans at the request of Congressmember Meeks.
Sanders does not believe Geo's &#8220shelved” plans. &#8220This is a group that tried to expand without letting the community know. They will try to do the same again, when no one is looking.”