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What is it like at "Alligator Alcatraz"?

Asked 20 hours ago

Answer

Alligator Alcatraz is described as a harsh detention facility with overcrowded chain-link cells, poor sanitation, constant lighting, and relentless insect infestations. Detainees report insufficient food, limited water, and scarce opportunities to shower. Contact with the outside world is restricted to phone calls, with no in-person visits allowed. The environment causes significant mental and physical distress.

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Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

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  • Detainees report being held in overcrowded chain-link cells with poor sanitation. 28s
  • Constant lighting and lack of sleep contribute to mental and physical distress. 1m 27s
  • Limited food, water, and shower access, with frequent insect infestations. 2m 22s
  • Contact with family and lawyers is restricted to phone calls; no in-person visits allowed. 3m 29s
  • Lawmakers touring the facility were not permitted to speak to detainees and offered conflicting accounts of conditions. 3m 59s
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References

Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
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CNN
22 hours ago
Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Giant tents house people crammed into chain-link cells packed with bunk beds, with 32 people per cell and three open toilets shared by dozens, often overflowing and lacking sewage.

Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
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CNN
22 hours ago
Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Lights are kept on 24 hours a day, making sleep difficult. Detainees report mental and physical distress, relentless insects, and lack of air conditioning during hot weather.

Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
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CNN
22 hours ago
Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Detainees say food portions are very small, meals are cold, and water is limited. Showers are scarce, with little water pressure and mosquito infestations.

Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
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CNN
22 hours ago
Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Detainees are escorted to showers with hands on their heads, have little time to shower, and are bitten by mosquitoes. Only phone calls connect them to the outside world; no visits are allowed.

Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
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CNN
22 hours ago
Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Detainees say families cannot track them in the system and express fear about being isolated in the Everglades, vulnerable to disasters.

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