Congressman Tom Marino will be at the Pike County Correctional Facility Oct. 1 to deliver a letter of commendation for the center’s 2011 review rating.
The facility received a superior rating from Immigration and Customs Enforcement during its annual review in January.
Superior is the top rating. Other possible ratings are good, acceptable, deficient, at risk and no rating. Pike County was upgraded from good.
It is the only facility to earn this top rating, out of the more than 200 ICE detention centers nationwide that are operated through Intergovernmental Service Agreements. That is, a contract for services between federal and county government.
Pike County Correctional Facility has a $5 million-a-year intergovernmental service agreement with ICE to house immigrant detainees who have served time for crimes and are awaiting deportation.
Pike extended the agreement this year by five years. The Pike facility has a capacity of 378 prisoners, and typically houses 175 ICE detainees and about the same number of county prisoners.
During the review, ICE looks for records indicating the number of prisoner assaults, use of restraints, grievances, escapes and deaths. It also examines access to legal materials, religious services, food, rehabilitation programs and other criteria.
