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Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Cal.) criticized his Republican peers for treating inmates held in custody Jan. 6 like “celebrities” during a congressional visit to the DC prison.
“The Republicans rushed to [the inmates] like they’re celebrities talking to them, patting them on the back,” Garcia said on MSNBC Friday afternoon.
The House Oversight Committee coordinated the visit. Republicans on the committee have long insisted that DC prison inmates be held in inhumane conditions. In October, inmates of the so-called “Patriot Ward” publicly demanded transfer to Guantanamo Bay prison. The delegation was led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who visited the prison in 2021.
That year, amid complaints of poor inmate conditions, the US Marshall conducted an inspection of the facilities; While certain parts of the prison failed the muster, the newer wing of the Central Treatment Facility (CTF) that housed the inmates underwent the inspection.
Inmates in the CTF wing, which they’ve dubbed internally the “Patriot Wing,” reportedly have 24-hour access to tablets, computers, audio recording devices, and medical supplies. “It is clear that these insurgents are being held in much better conditions than most black and brown inmates in prisons across the country,” Garcia tweeted.
Oversight Republicans tried to hold a press conference after the visit, which was interrupted by protesters. Greene and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) claimed the inmate’s “constitutional rights were being violated.” Greene reiterated her claim that January 6 “was not a riot,” and declared the January 6 defendants victims of a “two-tier justice system.”
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Marjorie Taylor Greene outside DC Jail: “It wasn’t a riot…We have to work as hard as we can to invalidate the two tier system of injustice.” pic.twitter.com/57fIZzFTDh
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) March 24, 2023
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), a member of the visiting delegation, dismissed claims that inmates were being abused and told reporters that if the jail were a hotel, the Jan. 6 inmate’s accommodations were comparable to “suites.” its inmates from the general population were in standard rooms. “As far as I’m concerned, this passed absolutely brilliantly,” Crockett said.
“What happened today was essentially a field trip. Republicans got to see their heroes. The January Sixers got to see their heroes,” Crockett said in an interview with MSNBC Friday night.
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