LETTER: Queens private jail contractor ignores inmate health during COVID crisis

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

By Khaleel Anderson

This piece was originally submitted on May 11 in response to a letter submitted by Alexandra Wilkes, national spokesperson for the Day 1 Alliance, a trade association representing private detention contractors.

To Alexandria Wilkes,

I am delayed in responding to your message because the number of COVID-19 cases in my district have grown exponentially, and I am working to help community members in need.

It’s quite ironic that the national spokesperson for the Day 1 Alliance, an advocacy group created with the sole purpose of protecting the image of the over $7.4 billion private prison, that only exists to perpetuate the dehumanization of underserved communities, is contacting me about my op-ed on private prisons.

I write to assure you: myself, as well as the dozens of other activists that have come out against private prisons across the country, are not playing politics — we are on the side of humanity.

Painfully, I’ve come to the conclusion that you have not considered the historic and unprecedented terror that my district is facing and the long-standing issues the Queens Detention Facility has caused the communities in District 31. This prison is in our backyard.  Devastatingly, there are COVID-19 cases in both public and private prisons, I agree, but in utter disregard for District 31's specific concern, you first point a finger to tragedies in public prisons outside of the district. Shame on you!

You failed to mention once the current health status of the one staff member and two inmates that have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Queens Detention Facility in your response to my April 8 op-ed. Instead, you wrote to defend and protect the business that is The Geo Group. You used the line that the coronavirus doesn't discriminate. Yes, anyone can be affected — but the number of deaths in the Black community are devastating. It’s being called “an epidemic on top of an epidemic”.

On April 17, only four days after your letter was published, the Queens Daily Eagle reported that U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks is investigating the 1700% surge in COVID-19 rates at the Queens Detention Facility — up to 36 inmates testing positive from two on April 3rd. One inmate is quoted saying “They’re not giving us the proper care that I think they should be giving us.” Another article from April 23rd describes a coronavirus ‘wildfire’ at the facility. It seems now that our earlier position on this issue is not “shameful” — it has prompted federal attention.

As your letter recommended, I want to learn the facts. What is being done to address this? Where is the transparency from the Queens Detention Facility that Springfield Gardens and all of District 31 deserves? Where has it been for the many years we have pleaded for it? 

To all of my opponents in this race — I call you to remain strong with me. Respond to a Trump-supporting lobbyist profiting from the incarceration of Black and Brown bodies or be complicit. You should not take any money from private prisons in this campaign. Respectfully borrowing words from Ms. Wilkes: that’s the very least that New Yorkers deserve in this challenging time. 

Khaleel Anderson is an organizer and a candidate for Queens’ Assembly District 31.