| NJCRDC New Jersey Civil Rights Defense Committee www.nj-civilrights.org * info@nj-civilrights.org * (646) 247-3238 |
| "building a community-based
movement to end injustice and to defend our democratic rights" |
|
by Jeannette Gabriel New Jersey Civil Rights Defense Committee’s message to the Passaic County Freeholders was very clear – you can be leaders in the struggle for civil rights by terminating the county contract with the Department of Homeland Security or you can be silent supporters of human rights abuses. Nine of us provided testimony about the horrible human rights abuses going on in the jail, in particular the case of Nigel Maccado who is being adequate medical care. We urged the county to stop profiting from innocent men’s suffering and to terminate the county’s contract with the DHS now. One after another we stood up and spoke out, presenting an eloquent and emotional appeal for justice to prevail in Passaic County. The Passaic County Freeholders were shaken by our presentations, they did not know about the Office of Inspector General’s June 2003 report to Congress detailing the human rights abuses at Passaic County Jail. They believe that they have resolved all the problems with conditions and that Sheriff Speziale has taken great steps to clean up the jail. Our testimony cited the ongoing human rights abuses at the jail, thus contradicting the idea that all the problems at the jail have been resolved. The legal counsel of the Freeholders who is also the legal counsel for Sheriff Speziale, Bill Pascrell, Jr. and also the son of Congressman Bill Pascrell made a formal reply to our concerns. First of all he said the Passaic County Freeholders have no jurisdiction over what happens at Passaic County Jail since the Sheriff is directly elected and accountable to the community. Then he steadily backtracked from this position. Pascrell said that the Sheriff had worked with the Freeholders to make changes in the jail and they were confident that the best possible care was being provided for the detainees. Pascrell drove this point home by adding that he did not believe our testimony and that it was all hyperbole. He said that he thought it was contradictory that we were attacking the administration’s immigration policies on the one hand and using the Office of Inspector General’s report on the other to justify our point. Finally he said that they would not end their contract with the Department of Homeland Security because the money would just go to Essex County. Freeholder Lois Cucinello then responded favorably to our presentation without specifically mentioning the contract. She denounced the Patriot Act and said she would like to see the Freeholders pass a resolution condemning it. Finally Pascrell offered to meet with NJ Civil Rights Defense Committee and resolve these issues. He met us in the hall afterwards where we informed him that the Office of Inspector General is an oversight committee to Congress; he seemed embarrassed not to have understood this point. We have provided with Mr. Pascrell, Jr. a link to the OIG Report and a written statement documenting our testimony in front of the Passaic County Freeholders. We are pursuing setting up a meeting as quickly as possible with the representative of the Freeholders. We are asking supporters to send letters to the Passaic County Freeholders urging them to terminate the contract with the Department of Homeland Security. We are circulating petitions for people to sign in support of terminating the contract. Please go to http://www.nj-civilrights.org for more information. - |
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| updated August 30, 2003 |