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NORCOR, fro m page 5 name said he was moved due to a court date. “They lose their files, they lose their Bibles, they lose all kinds of shit in the transfer,” said Gorge ICE Resistance’s Schechtel. “We think that this is an intentionally disruptive process that ICE or GEO Group tends to do.” Members of the coalition believe ICE moved detainees to NORCOR to break up a hunger strike by a reported 750 detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in April. Brandenburg denies that there even was a hunger strike among ICE detainees at NORCOR. “They may have missed five or six meals, but they were supplementing that with commissary food,” he says. “There really wasn’t a hunger strike.” “Oh, Jesus,” said the ACLU’s dos Santos, when told of Brandenburg’s words. “There was one person I was literally terrified was going to die.” According to PCUN’s Ramirez, detainees in Tacoma’s detention center are continuing to hunger strike. Dos Santos and others opposing NORCOR’s holding of ICE detainees believe some detainees may be retaliated against by ICE, The GEO Group or NORCOR, even if there’s not enough evidence to make a legal case. “We’ve heard of that,” dos Santos said. “It’s hard to connect all of the dots. But it certainly sounds like people are being treated differently based on how outspoken they are.” “There has been retaliation — there’s been retaliation in Tacoma, there’s been retaliation at NORCOR,” Schechtel said. “They tell us that the guards verbally abuse them more, ignore their requests more.” The physical moves, limited publicly available information about inmates and the extreme difficulty required in interviewing a willing detainee could be seen as interfering with Lujan-Gonzales’ First Amendment rights to free speech. And they are practically invisible to the from ICE we would be at a loss to pay for general public. Visiting clergy members the operations of NORCOR,” he said. are the only people besides attorneys NORCOR receives $80 per day for permitted in-person visits. each ICE detainee, records confirmed by Family members are permitted weekly Brandenburg show, a contract that ends 60-minute video calls, but as the ACLU’s in 2018 and Brandenburg said “needs to letter notes, even children are not be renegotiated.” permitted face-to-face time with their Brandenburg says NORCOR has held parents. as many as 80 detainees and as few as Stevens says that he has been five, and averages around 20. At 20 impressed with how detainees work to detainees average and $80 per day, help one another stick NORCOR brings together and avoid in $584,000 per “bullying” from year from ICE. corrections officers Recent ballot inside NORCOR, but it’s " I f s f o is if I® w o rk out measures aimed tough. ( fla a a c la llj^ t a i s t l l f II we at shoring up “One guy that I’ve d l & f t h a w the saeaej fro m NORCOR’s been meeting with since I C I we w o u ld be at a loss failing budget May just got deported t® pay fo r the operations of with a new tax this morning,” Stevens have narrowly KO BC O B/r said. “I thought he was missed passage. going to hold out for a Earlier this while, but I guess he N O R C O R A D M IN IS T R A T O R year, a regional just gave up. People do jail tax rate give up.” measure was defeated by a razor-thin ORCOR needs money. In the long margin of 14 votes, The Dalles Chronicle run, ICE holds might not be enough. reports. Brandenburg said another bond NORCOR’s roots go back to 1993 and measure may come to voters again in efforts by officials in Wasco, Hood River, April next year, and his preference would Sherman and Gilliam counties to be to pay for NORCOR’s operations with combine efforts to fund a regional jail that would address the lack of jail beds in taxes, not ICE money. Some in the Gorge wonder if all the the area. According to the jail’s website, b ad publicity NO RCOR is g e ttin g from it books 3,000 offenders per year, and its th e p ro te s ts , legal a c tio n s an d m ed ia costs are borne by Wasco (50 percent), coverage might not hurt the chances of Hood River (40 percent), and Sherman passing the next bond measure to and Gilliam (5 percent each). support its operations. For 2017, NORCOR’s yearly “NORCOR is walking a really fine line operational costs are $6.2 million, while in order to be on the good side of people current combined county subsidies are who will wish them financial well-being,” only $3.8 million. The facility has Boonstra said. “The more it gets out that contracts that bring in some additional the conditions are deplorable, that money, but it still runs a yearly deficit taxpayer money is being used for this close to $1 million, according to purpose, the next time a bond comes to Brandenburg. the taxpayers, there’s going to be a lot “It’s going to work out (financially), more resistance.” but still, if we didn’t have the money N o The Get Away by Jaison Kirk On my way to pick up a new lady friend My nerves alive and on fire Thinking of the near future. Will I say the Right things? What will conspire? Over the phone we planned a trip And a meal in the park Planning the day together while apart Both hoping love will spark. On our way we make final plans And a trip to the store Digging the vibe of this new Affair, I hope I’m not a bore * Making small talk and discoveries As we walk the aisles People around us can tell the newness And we gather smiles. Sandwiches, soft drinks, dessert, and A loaf of bread to feed the birds. As we relax on a blanket sharing The day, food and words. Together we break bread for The birds and enjoy the show. When the afternoon light Grows long we pack up and go. More comfortable by now with Hands and eyes we start to flirt Dropping the girl off with a kiss Alive on fire at full alert. As her door closes my head Is sp in n in g an d I feel d azed Feeling hopeful, finding a new Friend to love. I am amazed. ib e fta C E N T R A L C IT Y C O FFEE well. £)& (pod. 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