Are You An Ilegal Immigrant? Now You Get To Play Nintendo Wii While You're Detained

Obama 2012 · October 17, 2010

So criminals now get to play video games? I love how they use the wording "non-criminal" for illegals.. There's a damn oxymoron for you and a very incorrect one.... This is getting damn pathetic....

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http://blogs.chron.com/immigration/archives/2010/10/ice_detainees_p.html

The Chronicle was leaked some photos from inside ICE's Stewart Detention Center in Georgia showing detainees playing Nintendo Wii video game systems. The Wiis are only available to detainees who have no criminal history and are housed in a recreation room. Detainees can sign up to use them for 30 minutes at a time.

The Stewart Center is owned by Corrections Corporation of America, which agreed to "soften" detention conditions at nine of its centers, including Stewart, as part of an agreement reached with ICE officials in May. The changes are part of an overall push by ICE to make its detention centers more humane for noncriminal detainees held on administrative, not criminal, charges.

ICE issued this statement today about the Wiis:

"Like all detention facilities, Stewart has an indoor recreation room. The contractor that operates Stewart has equipped the facility's game room with a number of activities such as games. Providing access to physical and recreational activities within a detention facility is industry standard. In fact, Bureau of Prison facilities around the country provide similar recreation for criminals serving their sentences."

A BOP spokesman could not be reached for comment late Friday.

Most of the changes agreed upon by ICE and CCA have been delayed because of negotiations with ICE's union, ICE officials said. Union officials have expressed concern about several of the changes, including plans to end lockdowns and allowing detainees to wear street cloths, saying they could jeopardize the safety of detention officers or other detainees.