Washington State vs. Geo Group: Health Inspections Blocked

0:00Washington State just filed in federal court to make the Geo Group open its Tacoma Detention Center to health inspectors. The four-profit facility has faced thousands of complaints from detainees over bad conditions. State officials say the company is defying a new law that lets them check private prisons for health and safety issues. This all stems from a 2023 law giving the state power over these facilities. The Geo Group sued to block it, but the ninth circuit court upheld the law last year. Now the company has until June 11th to appeal to the Supreme Court. Detainees have lodged 3,500 complaints in recent years, with nearly 1,000 about food, water, and air quality. Folks reported nasty stuff like worms and plastic bits and meals plus foul-tasting water from the center's pipes. Inspectors have tried entering 10 times since the law passed, but got turned away every single time. The latest was April 20th when they wanted to check the water supply, which comes from Tacoma's Clean City System.

1:00Attorney General Nick Brown calls this straight-up defiance, not just legal, but a moral fail. With Geo and I staying silent, the state is pushing hard for access, and we'll see what the judge decides next. You've been listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news.