2007年VOA标准英语-US Immigration Detainees Lack Health Care

By Deborah Block
Washington
16 July 2007
 

Detainees awaiting processing by immigration officials

A recent U.S. government report says detainees at American immigration detention¹ centers are not receiving adequate medical care. Three human rights groups held a briefing on Capitol Hill last week to draw attention to the problem.  VOA's Deborah Block has more.

The groups say there are no uniform standards to ensure that immigration detainees receive humane² treatment including sufficient medical care.  They say people are suffering and a few have even died because of delays in getting medical treatment. 

One women told of how her sister died while in custody³ after not getting treatment for life-threatening medical problems. June Everett said her sister once had a drug problem, but was a legal permanent U.S. resident who was arrested on her return from her native Barbados. "Sandra  (Kenley) died because the American system failed her.  A system we believed in.  A system that needs fixing now, before more lives are lost unnecessarily."

The U.S. government General Accounting⁴ Office issued the report about immigrant detainee facilities. That report to Congress says that some detainee facilities are overcrowded and had deficient⁵ medical care, ranging from a lack of timely medical screenings to first aid kits⁶. 

Jamie Zuieback

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials deny claims of medical mistreatment.  Spokesperson Jamie Zuieback says, "The medical care that most people experience in our facilities is better, frankly⁷, than in most cases than the care they have (usually get).  This particular population typically has very little or no preventive care, little or no on-going medical care.  When they come to our facilities they receive a health screening within 24 hours of arriving and any medical need they have is taken care of on an on-going basis."

Michele Garnett McKenzie is with the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights.  She says all too often medical problems of the detainees are ignored.  She says contributing to the problem is the huge number of detainees in a mix of federal centers, private prisons and local jails, and the fact they sometimes are housed with prisoners convicted of crimes.  "There's about 300,000 people every year in detention.  It's a system that's grown rapidly.  Ten years ago we had maybe 20,000 people annually⁸ in detention.  It's just expanded at a tremendous rate due to immigration law changes in the United States."

Tom Jawetz

Tom Jawetz, an immigration detention lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), describes the overcrowding he saw at one facility.

"There were detainees who were literally⁹ sleeping on top of each other in the holding cells and also in the cells themselves.  As a result there was increased tension and increased risk of medical and mental health disturbances¹⁰."

Dr. Allen Keller works on immigrant health issues at New York University.  He says many facilities do not meet the medical needs of people who may be in custody for long periods.   He also says that since only the federal government has the authority to approve surgeries and certain medical tests for detainees, treatment may be delayed and could have dire¹¹ consequences. "We need to ensure that there is timely access to appropriate care, and that also includes empowering the care providers locally, so they can provide the care that they believe is needed and warranted, and that there should not be bureaucratic¹² delays for weeks or months or potentially even longer."

He says independent oversight¹³ and stronger medical regulations are needed at detainee facilities to ensure people are held in safe conditions.  

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

3 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

4 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

5 deficient   

adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的

参考例句：

• The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。
• I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。

6 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

7 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

8 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

9 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

10 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

11 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

12 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

13 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。