I have been working on a project about the experiences of undocumented Mexican youth incarcerated with either California Youth Authority, the Border Patrol/INS and/or local juvenile facilities. The problems have ranged from an inability to find youth interested in telling their experiences, to CYA and INS not being able to give me a clear and concise set of procedures and policies or statistics regarding the intake, processing, sentencing, and legal defense opportunities. All parties say procedure is followed but no one knows what the procedures really are. I have become involved with trying to track info. through ICE and Dept. of Homeland Security with ridiculous outcomes that consist of, sending my requests back opened but unanswered, no answer because my questions are not worded properly, but no clear info on how to word questions. When I find anything, there is no division between documented or undocumented...which scew the stats.

Alisa
Sandra Belman <sbelman@uic.edu> wrote: