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Disability advocacy group to file lawsuit against GEO Group, Inc. and the Michigan Department of Corrections FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14, 2005 Contact: Tom Masseau (517) 487-1755 (517) 648-0029 (Lansing, Mich.) – Today, Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS) filed a lawsuit in the Western District Court alleging the GEO Group, Inc. and the Michigan Department of Corrections for failing to provide appropriate services to youth with disabilities in the Michigan Youth Correctional Facility (MYCF), located in Baldwin, Michigan. “There comes a time when we as a society must take a stand and speak out for those who do not have a voice. That time has arrived with the filing of this lawsuit,” says Elmer L. Cerano, Executive Director of MPAS. Mr. Cerano further stated, “Why do we allow a private company to come into the state, sign a contract to get paid $17 to $18 million dollars or $38,000 per inmate to house inmates between the ages of 14 to 19 years old, and provide no services? Are we sending the message that they should give up on their future, they have no future?” Stacy Hickox, Staff Attorney with MPAS stated, “This is a huge step forward to provide necessary services and supports to the youth. I look forward to fighting for their well-being, when everyone else has given up.” Some of MPAS findings include: Youth of color are overrepresented at MYCF. 67% of the juveniles in MDOC facilities are youth of color, whereas 28% of the total juvenile population in Michigan is youth of color. In some counties, 100% of the youth sent to MYCF are youth of color. Youth at MYCF attend classes for as little as 3 hours per week, despite the fact that the GEO Group contract with MDOC requires 30 hours of education instruction per week for inmates testing at grade 8.0 or below. In addition, MYCF is obligated to meet special education requirements for all inmates. Youth in detention or administrative segregation receive no educational instruction, even though the MDOC contract requires individual instruction for anyone in segregation for more than seven days. Many of the youth who have been in administrative segregation for extended periods of time have a history of mental illness, a developmental disability or both. Youth at MYCF face additional and unnecessary constraints because it is operated as a level 5 high security prison. All youth at MYCF came into the corrections system as a level 1 or level 2 security risk because their records only include charges such as probation violations. Roxanne Johnson, whose son is housed at MYCF, spoke out against the conditions at the facility. “I have a concern for my son’s safety at the facility. I’ve been told that they can’t hire more staff because they are a for-profit facility.” Ms. Peterson further stated she supports the lawsuit and wishes the agency well in their fight to protect the rights of the youth at MYCF. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief entitling the youth to adequate education and mental health services, adjustment of their security status, and adjustment of their eligibility for parole to reflect the harm imposed on them by the facility’s use of administrative segregation and failure to provide adequate education and mental health services to them. # # # Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, Inc. is a statewide organization that advocates for individuals with disabilities

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