Some Recent Accomplishments in Detention Management

In recent years, ICE has made tremendous progress in developing a comprehensive and fully accountable system of health care for its detainees.  Here are some of the things we have been doing:

In February 2007, we created the Detention Field Inspection Group (DFIG) to conduct specialized inspections of detention facilities and to investigate allegations of mistreatment and non-compliance with the National Detention Standards.  The DFIG reports to the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), which independently inspects and reviews ICE offices, operations, and processes.

In March 2007, ICE entered into a contract with the Nakamoto Group, a third party comprised of detention and medical professionals, to conduct compliance reviews.  They replaced the DRO employees who previously had performed such duties.  Nakamoto’s inspections began before the end of fiscal year 2007.  Also in March 2007, ICE deployed full-time quality assurance officers at the 40 largest ICE facilities.  By mid-2007, we began drafting Family Residential Standards, which were published in December after thorough consultation with NGOs and DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. 

If a detention facility fails to meet the stringent standards we have in place, ICE takes decisive action to correct any problems.  For example, in August 2007, we removed all ICE detainees from the RCC facility in New Mexico after it failed to comply with detention standards after multiple warnings.  The following month, ICE also removed all detainees from its facility in San Pedro, California based on inspection review results that revealed a poor fire suppression system.

On October 1, 2007, the Division of Immigration Health Services (DIHS) was effectively detailed to ICE through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services.  In November, ICE commissioned the Nakamoto group to conduct a Baseline Survey of DIHS to determine what improvements were needed and to evaluate the standard of care at the detention facilities.  By the end of 2007, only seven deaths had occurred in ICE facilities, a decrease of 75 percent in just three years.

This January, to more effectively ensure compliance, ICE began working with NGOs and the ABA on revised Performance Based Detention Standards, which we plan to release by the end of this fiscal year.  In April, ICE published an extensive National Detainee Handbook, to be issued to all ICE detainees, which explains in English and Spanish all aspects of the detention process.  Also in April, the Nakamoto group published its report on DIHS-provided care. 

This month ICE published its first semi-annual Detention Compliance Report, which details the extensive measures we have taken to ensure the highest level of health care for those in our custody.  Finally, we are now working closely with DHS Office of Health Affairs to further improve detainee care and do a full examination of our health care system.

These are just some of the things ICE and DIHS have been doing to improve upon the health care of detainees.  We recognize that, at this time, the nation is experiencing severe shortages of qualified health professionals, with many hospitals and healthcare organizations implementing special plans to recruit and retain these professionals.  Nevertheless, we are steadfast in our commitment to address the health care needs of detainees, and we have initiated an aggressive approach to obtaining staff through a variety of sources. Since October 1, 2007, DIHS has hired 149 Public Health Officers and contract medical providers.  There are currently 314 applicants in the hiring process.

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