RIVERSIDE, Calif., April 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Class
representatives of thousands of detained immigrants currently
housed in private prison facilities operated by the GEO Group
(NYSE:GEO) are seeking an emergency order from the U.S. District
Court for the Central District of California to protect their health and safety
in light of the growing COVID-19 crisis.
According to the motion for a temporary restraining order filed
late yesterday, GEO Group officials have failed to provide personal
protective equipment, soap, and sanitizer for detainees who are
forced to clean and sanitize common areas in the company's
facilities across the nation.
The motion alleges that any inmates refusing to comply with the
company's directives face solitary confinement and other serious
harm. But compliance with GEO's program, the motion says, puts
detainees in extreme risk of exposure to the virus that causes
COVID-19.
Late last year the court certified class action litigation
against the company based on detainees' claims of forced labor and
wage theft.
"The court certified a nationwide class to put an end to the
illegal use of unpaid, forced labor that drives GEO's profits,"
said Daniel Charest of Burns Charest
LLP, one of the attorneys for the class. "Now with the spread of
COVID-19, GEO's unlawful practices could turn deadly. This has to
stop now."
To address the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the class seeks an
order requiring GEO to stop using detainee labor on general
sanitation tasks or, in the alternative, to provide protective
clothing and antiseptic supplies when performing the tasks. The
filing also demands testing for COVID-19.
The case is Novoa, et al. v. The GEO Group, Inc., Case
No. 5:17-cv-02514 (C.D. Cal.).
Burns Charest represents clients in large, complex class
actions; antitrust cases; oil and gas royalty disputes;
environmental pollution cases; mass torts; and asbestos exposure
claims. The firm has offices in Dallas, New
Orleans and Denver. To
learn more, visit http://www.burnscharest.com.
Media Contact:
Barry Pound
800-559-4534
barry@androvett.com
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content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/detained-immigrants-seek-federal-court-order-to-gain-access-to-soap-sanitizer-ppe-amid-covid-19-outbreak-at-privately-run-detention-facilities-301036803.html
SOURCE Burns Charest LLP