The day room in a women's unit at Eloy. Many detainees are mothers separated from their children. There are few activities to keep them occupied, except for accepting a job in the prison. The jobs in the laundry, kitchen, etc., pay $1 a day for an eight-hour shift.
Featured on the March 30th, 2018 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:
- The race for Governor is underway in Arizona. Will out-of-state money be the tipping point for the winner? Are educators making financial contributions to this race? And, can social media close the gap on Election Day? AZPM Reporters Christopher Conover and Zac Ziegler wrap up their week-long look at campaign finances in this year’s race for Governor.
- Cyclovia is an annual community-building event where an urban area is closed off to vehicles - but remains open to pedestrians and bicycles. The next Cyclovia in Tucson is happening Sunday, April 8th. The idea traces its origins to an event that started in South America. Tony Paniagua speaks to co-founder Gil Penalosa, who says these events can make cities friendlier, healthier, and more vibrant. Penalosa will speak in Tucson at the Rialto Theater on April 5th as a guest of the Living Streets Alliance.
Gil Penalosa, co-founder of the Cyclovia movement and an advocate for safer, more vibrant city centers.
A father and his child gear up for bike safety and to enjoy the events of Cyclovia Tucson.- Journalist Margaret Regan talks to Mark about a woman who was taken from her kids following a traffic stop in Tucson, and placed in the Border Patrol detention system to await deportation to Mexico. It was just one of the stories Regan covered in her 2015 book on immigration, Detained and Deported: Stories of Immigrant Families Under Fire. Last year, Regan wrote a follow-up article about the food served in Border Patrol detention called Detained & Deprived for Edible Baja Arizona.
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The Eloy Detention Center, owned and operated by the for-profit CoreCivic company (formerly Corrections Corporation of America), is the third largest detention center in the U.S., with just under 1600 beds. It is the only one in Arizona that detains women. Photo by Jay Rochlin.
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There are few organized activities at the immigration detention center. Detainees spend much of their time in a pod, with little to do but worry. Photo by Jay Rochlin.
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Guatemalan men seeking asylum await their "credible fear" hearing at Eloy. Immigrants seeking asylum can spend years in detention. Photo by Jay Rochlin.
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Detainees in Eloy Detention Center spend much of their time in a small cell like this one. The small cells house two detainees; a toilet, not seen in the photo, is in the middle of the room.The windows in the women's units are blacked out, so no one can see in or out. Photo by Jay Rochlin.
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The fence around Eloy is electrified, and all visitors must pass through three locked doors to enter. The immigrants detained in Eloy are not supposed to be treated like prisoners, but Eloy operates much like a criminal prison. They can be held in solitary confinement as punishment for infractions. Photo by Jay Rochlin.
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Coiled barbed wire and two layers of chain link surround the detention center. Though it's not supposed to be a prison, Eloy looks like a prison and acts like a prison. Photo by Jay Rochlin.
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