Can the Reading Eagle dig up detention center compliance reports?

by Steve Reinbrecht

Here’s some investigative journalism for the Reading Eagle to do.

Berks County owns a detention center near Leesport that federal officials are using to lock up immigrants – including mothers and young children – waiting for legal decisions on their status.

A “bi-annual” report from February 2009 prepared for federal officials says the center was “non-compliant.” It has pages describing deficiencies and recommendations. Were any followed up?

A lot of the report was redacted. Did the blacked-out sections describe conditions too horrible for the public to know about?

The Reading Eagle should track down the reports from 2011, 2013 and 2015. I could find no stories about any reports in the Eagle archives.

I did find an editorial in the Reading Eagle on Aug. 31, 2009, urging the Berks County commissioners to keep the center open, to retain 50 jobs. No comment on the ethics or the morals of keeping innocent people locked up.

The newspaper had a wire-service story in February 2007 about reports of abuse in the place.

The detention center and associated protests and legal procedures make up a major story at the center of a national issue, right here in Berks County.

It reflects on the national debates about whether we welcome people fleeing horrible conditions, and whether locking people up for victimless crimes is the best way to solve problems.

Why won’t the Berks County commissioners comment on why they continue to abet the detention of innocent people?

The Reading Eagle has dropped the ball covering this place, failing to find sources and press local officials about their stands on keeping the detention center open.

Compliance report from February 2009

Report from 2007

Wire story in the Reading Eagle from February 2007

Reading Eagle editorial Aug. 1, 2009