Occupy the Essex County Freeholders

by: koleary

Thu Dec 08, 2011 at 09:07:44 PM EST

For everyone who missed yesterday's festivities at Occupy Newark and the Occupy the Freeholders event below is a short overview. You can also read the hashtag #OccupyICE on Twitter you will get some more of the blow by blow.  

It was pouring rain yesterday so I don't begrudge anyone who did not show up to the rally, but kudos to those who did.  We were a small group but we were joined by a couple members from Occupy Newark who did not lack in enthusiasm and lead chants of "jobs not jails" and "no prisons for profit" as we marched first to Wells Fargo next to the Federal Building and then to the POP rally before heading into the Hall of Records.  

The real drama, however, was at the Essex County Freeholders meeting. About 20 people testified in opposition to the ICE contract.  As a result, we tied up the meeting for at least an hour.  

Several ministers from area congregations spoke about the immorality of incarcerating people for profit.  Rev. Moacir Weirich, pastor of St. Stephan's Grace Community Church- ELCA was particularly brilliant.  He asked the freeholders to reflect on how their actions would be perceived in the long-view of history and made a reference to how slavery was also justified because it was economically expedient.  

All of the IRATE & First Friends interns testified about conditions and their experience visiting immigrant detainees at Delaney Hall, the facility adjacent to the Essex County Jail that is run by the politically connected firm CEC.

Sally Pillay, supervisor of the intern program, was one of the last to speak and concluded by saying if there was a community oversight board we wouldn't need to take up the freeholders time complaining about conditions at the jail and Delaney Hall.

As a result of about an hour of public testimony in opposition to the ICE contract the freeholdes were not able to get through the entire agenda. At least another 1/2 hour was given to Alfaro Ortiz, director of corrections in Essex County and Phil Alagia, who holds two jobs, one as chief of staff to Joe DiVincenzo and the second as director of ICE operations, to respond to all of our comments.

Some of the most outrageous things that were said include:

·    Someone in finance for the Essex County Administration was detailing net financial benefit from the contract.  He said that the purpose of the contract was to keep property taxes low.  He also referred to the ICE detainees as "revenue generating inmates".

·    Freeholder Luciano referred to our complaints as "rumors"

·    Freeholder Sebold said we should all stop complaining to them and head to DC to lobby congress

·    Ortiz kept saying we were all confusing conditions at other facilities with the conditions at Essex

·    Ortiz said that Essex County cannot institute a community oversight board without the permission of ICE

·    Oritz told the freeholders that at most there is a 30 minute wait to see a detainee (when we know is can take hours)

·    Ortiz also admitted that there was an odor in the area from the various industries, but somehow it does not penetrate the building

John Clancy, the CEO of CEC was also on hand, but he was not able to speak because of the meeting running over.  However, he was confronted in the hallway by a young man who identified himself as being undocumented.  The young man asked Clancy how he could sleep at night.  He continued for several minutes until a sheriff's officer asked him to leave the building.

Please mark your calendars for 12/14 at 7:00 pm when we will again Occupy the Essex County Freeholders meeting. The freeholders will again be discussing the ICE contract and the sub-contract with CEC.  

We have good reason to believe that representatives from CEC will again be on hand. Here is a link to the Facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/#!/eve...

And

Don't forget about the petition. There is still time to tell the Essex County Freeholders to PUT PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT! http://www.change.org/petition...