In 1981-82, the women’s federal prison in Alderson participated in a brief, but sad, chapter in the United States’ immigration history. Beginning in the 1970s, men and women began fleeing Haiti to escape the brutal dictatorship of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Known as “boat people,” refugees left Haiti for the United States in overcrowded and rickety boats. Some boats capsized and bodies floated onto Florida beaches.
Haitian refugees who reached the United States were allowed to apply for political asylum under the policies of President Jimmy Carter’s administration. However, after Ronald Reagan became president, policies changed and refugees were sent to detention camps in the Florida Everglades. Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson accused the Reagan Administration of being prejudiced toward Haitian refugees. In 1980, 1,800 Haitian refugees were moved from Florida detention facilities to prisons, including Alderson’s federal prison for women.
Following a yearlong legal battle by human rights activists, on July 23, 1982, a court ordered a controlled release of the refugees from federal prisons and naturalization sites.
The Episcopal Church’s Bishop’s Fund for World Relief sent field staff to the Alderson prison. The staff along with local volunteers found sponsors who would provide housing, food, clothing, and household expenses for each refugee. Each woman was assigned an attorney to help with an asylum application. All the women were released.
