Least of These Screening, San Francisco

Surviving Criminalization: Films on Incarceration & Family Detention The Equal Justice Society next month will feature two documentaries that take a probing look into America's criminal justice and immigrant detention systems. As racial justice advocates, we believe that building a movement that addresses both systems of oppression is imperative. Wednesday, October 14th 7:00 pm Sundance Kabuki Cinema 1881 Post Street, San Francisco Japantown (map) On Facebook Putting a human face on the issue of incarceration, THE TRUST (http://www.trustcommunity.org) follows three men determined to stop the cycle for themselves, their families and their communities. The men’s experiences are contextualized by expert testimony, which explores the historical and contemporary Corrections System providing a framework to understand how our prison population has grown from 200,000 to over 2.3 million in less than 40 years. THE TRUST is currently in production, and we will screen a 20-minute trailer. THE LEAST OF THESE [http://theleastofthese-film.com], the second film, explores one of the most controversial aspects of U.S. immigration policy - family detention. THE LEAST OF THESE takes a penetrating look at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, a former medium-security prison that re-opened in 2006 as a prototype family detention center. The facility houses immigrant children and their parents from all over the world who are awaiting asylum hearings or deportation proceedings. As troubling information about facility conditions began to leak out, legal advocates proceeded to investigate. The film tells the stories of their quest to bring justice to families in detention, and explores the role (and limits) of community and legal activism in bringing about institutional change. This feature-length screening will be the West Coast premiere of THE LEAST OF THESE. The film screenings will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session with the films' directors and lead characters. CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS General admission: $10 Community member rate: $ 5 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact either: Sara Jackson, sjackson@equaljusticesociety.org or Miguel Gavaldón, mgavaldon@equaljusticesociety.org

Free Least of These Screening, Austin, Tx

Texans Protest Williamson County's Hutto Contract

On Tuesday, July 28, Williamson County residents will attend the weekly County Commissioners Court session (9:15 am, 710 Main Street, Georgetown, Tx). The county continues to serve as the intermediary between the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). County residents are outraged that, despite a federal lawsuit and loads of bad press, the county continues to facilitate the detention of families.

County residents are especially concerned that when the legal settlement between the ACLU/University of Texas Immigration Law Clinic and ICE expires in August, there will be no enforceable oversight. As the contractor, Williamson County is liable to ICE for violations and infractions at the facility.

While the facility has been much improved by the stipulations of the settlement (overseen by regular visits from a federal magistrate) Williamson County residents and the families' attorneys remain gravely concerned about conditions at T. Don Hutto. Two facts remain. First, ICE's Family Residential Standards are based on policies used at adult prisons, making them an inappropriate model for the care of families. Second, these standards are not enforceable. That means that CCA and Williamson County can fall out of compliance with little legal recourse by families detained there. While this may be legally convenient for the contractors, it does not release them from the responsibility for the care and welfare of families at Hutto.

For some Williamson County residents, T. Don Hutto is a bad deal for the county, places too much liability on their shoulders, and generates too much bad press for the home towns. They call on the Commissioners' Court to end the contract and close Hutto down.

Least of These: Premieres in New York and Georgetown, Tx

Clark Lyda and Jesse Lyda's renowned film, The Least of These, will premiere in NYC at the New York International Latino Film Festival. And next Monday, it will show in Georgetown, Texas, county seat of Williamson County, home of the T. Don Hutto Center and holder of the federal contract to detain families.

Monday, July 27, 7 pm Georgetown Public Library, Hewlett Room, 402 West 8th, Georgetown, TX.
Contact Susan Wukasch 868-2586/963-3969.

Wednesday, July 29, 8:30 pm
Clearview Cinemas Chelsea, 260 W. 23rd, between 7th & 8th Ave., NY, NY.
Followed by Q & A with Vanita Gupta (ACLU), Michelle Brané (Women's Refugee Commission), and the film's directors.
Tickets: $12~~Buy in advance here.
Followed by special film reception at Sala One Nine, located at 35 West 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue
(just bring your ticket stub).

New Film about Hutto: The Least of These

2.12.2009: A new feature-length documentary on Hutto will be premiering at Austin's South by Southwest Film Festival. Directed by Clark and Jesse Lyda, The Least of These follows the development of family detention policy, its implementation, the movement against Hutto, and changes in family detention policy. We'll keep you posted on viewing times, but for now, here's an UPDATED synopsis:

'The Least of These' explores one of the most controversial aspects of American immigration policy: family detention.

As part of the Bush administration policy to end what they termed the "catch and release'" of undocumented immigrants, the U.S. government opened the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in May 2006 as a prototype family detention facility. The facility is a former medium-security prison in central Texas operated by CCA, the largest private prison operator in the country. The facility houses immigrant children and their parents from all over the world who are awaiting asylum hearings or deportation proceedings.

The facility was initially activated with little media attention or public knowledge. Soon, however, immigration attorney Barbara Hines was contacted by detainees seeking representation, and she became increasingly concerned about the troubling conditions there. She joined forces with Vanita Gupta of the ACLU and Michelle Brané of the Women's Refugee Commission to investigate conditions and seek changes. Their efforts were initially hampered by a lack of openness and oversight within the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) organization. Undeterred, the three attorneys attempted to bring about changes in both policy and conditions, by making their findings public, encouraging involvement by activists and the media, and ultimately by filing a historic lawsuit.

As these events unfold, the film explores the government rationale for family detention, conditions at the facility, collateral damage, and the role (and limits) of community activism in bringing change. The film leads viewers to consider how core American rights and values – due process, presumption of innocence, upholding the family structure as the basic unit of civil society, and America as a refuge of last resort – should apply to immigrants, particularly children.

UPDATE: The SXSW Schedule is out! Here's the showing info for The Least of These:

11:00 AM, Monday March 16th - Alamo Ritz 1, 320 E. 6th Street, Austin, Tx.

7:00 PM, Wednesday March 18th - Alamo Lamar 3, 1120 S. Lamar, Austin, Tx.

11:00 AM, Friday March 20th - Paramount Theater, 713 Congress, Austin, Tx.

**Everything subject to change, so check www.sxsw.com for updates!**