News Action Alert

NY DETAINEES END HUNGER STRIKE

By August 30, 2004October 25th, 2018No Comments

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Some 175 detainees at the Queens Detention Center near JFK

airport in New York ended a hunger strike on the night of Aug. 19

after guards harassed detainees and threatened retaliation.

Authorities also tried unsuccessfully to force detainees to sign

documents. Authorities came down especially hard on Indian

national Makhan Singh, who had spoken to the press about

conditions at the prison. Guards put Singh into solitary

confinement and are threatening him with deportation or transfer

to another prison far from his family. More than 80% of the male

detainees at the facility participated in the hunger strike,

which began on Aug. 16 [see INB 8/21/04]. The detention center is

run by the GEO Group Inc. (formerly Wackenhut Corrections Corp.).

[Coney Island Avenue Project Press Release 8/20/04]