Hi Mike, Regarding your reading of a form letter advising the family of a detainee death, I have some reservations. Where my hesitancy lies is your source (altgov2.org), which I categorize as an "activist" organization. The copy of the form letter was received through a request under the Freedom of Information Act made by Russ Kick (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Kick), and although I am presuming that what he is posting as ICE's reply is word for word "genuine," there is no way that I know of that the this can be verified through an official source such as the ICE website:
https://www.ice.gov/.
I examined the ICE website for the first time tonight. I found that the 2000 Detentions Operations Manual is available on the ICE site:
https://www.ice.gov/detention-standards/2000.
I read the section covering "Terminal Illness, Advance, Directives, and Death"
https://www.ice.gov/doclib/dro/detention-standards/pdf/terminal.pdf. Section 6B covers "notification of family." Realistically, deaths will occur even under the most benign conditions. There has to be some procedure for family notification. Section 6B reads:
"Written procedures will provide for chaplain involvement in communicating news of the serious illness or death of a detainee or member of a detainee's families. The Chaplain shall coordinate requested religious rituals at the time of a detainee's serious illness or death." The manual then states that
first efforts to inform next of kin will be made by telephone by the chaplain and only if the chaplain cannot reach the family, will a condolence letter be used.
What bothers me in the altgov2.org FOIA approach is its obvious political slant. In posting the form letter by itself, without reference to the letter's place in the sequence of procedures following a detainee's death, altgov2 is is implying "calculated coldness," on the part of ICE toward detainees. This may or may not be the case.
Having myself come of age in the early 1960's and having watched youthful idealism turn ugly and brutal toward the end of that decade, I try my best to steer the Nonfiction Collection down a neutral path. That is one of several reasons why I ask that readers who want to read materials focused on contemporary politics (or religion or any other potentially contentious subject) use official websites rather than activist sites presenting a particular slant.
That said, if you are so inclined, you might take a look at what the Detention Standards Manual says about Hunger Strikes:
https://www.ice.gov/doclib/dro/detention-standards/pdf/hunger.pdf (something else I also read for the first time tonight).
I will put the letter you submitted into the Magic Window, but I would urge caution in the future.
This is an interesting source. Ever cautious, as BC I have to be, about things being in the public domain, I tracked down "Yawn of the Computer Age" to the official NSA website: https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/70/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/cryptologs/cryptolog_06.pdf and found that it was, indeed, PD.