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White House Asked To Close Leavenworth Detention Center

By Steve Kraske,

Published September 13, 2021 at 7:36 PM CDT

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The ACLU and public defenders in the region wrote to Leavenworth County officials and the White House urging them to shut down a privately-run pre-trial detention facility by the end of this year.

Public defenders and the ACLU sent a joint letter to the Biden administration declaring that the facility, privately owned by CoreCivic, is not meeting inmates' basic needs.

In January, President Joe Biden took the first step to make good on his campaign promise to end the use of private prison companies when he ordered the Justice Department not to renew contracts with them.

For inmates at CoreCivic Leavenworth, that won't happen until the end of 2021. That's not soon enough, according to those who signed a letter to Biden and Leavenworth County.

Citing violence that includes homicides, as well as limited food and medical attention and even showers, a group of ACLU chapters and public defender offices from around the Midwest say the constitutional rights of inmates are being ignored.

Allison Kite, reporter, Kansas Reflector and Missouri Independent
Sharon Brett, legal director, ACLU of Kansas

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Zach Wilson

As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.

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Danie Alexander

As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.

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