'Like an oversized dog kennel': Former Alligator Alcatraz worker speaks out about facility conditions :: WRAL.com Search Sign In Home News News Home Local State @NCCapitol Politifact Politics Education Traffic Investigations WRAL Data Trackers Nation World Coronavirus Documentaries Public Records Memorials Green Crime Strange Archives Fayetteville Noticias Weather Weather Home Current Conditions Hourly Map Center • DualDoppler5000 • iControl Alert Center Hurricanes Closings Beach & Mountains CBC Solar Farm Almanac WRAL Live Cam Network Weather Center Blog Resources Robocams NC County Map Specialists 5 On Your Side WRAL Investigates Education Dan Haggerty NC Capitol Data Trackers Politifact Climate Change SmartShopper Documentaries Sports Sports Home All Columns NC State UNC Duke ECU Hurricanes Panthers Olympics Bulls NASCAR Golf Soccer MLB NBA NFL NHL Tennis Appalachian State Campbell NC Central St. Augustine's Shaw HighSchoolOT Business Business Home Market Summary Market News Stock Quotes Market Movers Tax Guide WRAL TechWire Opinion Opinion Home Editorials Blog Editorial Cartoons Consumer Consumer Home 5 On Your Side Restaurant Ratings Recalls Complaint Form SmartShopper Cyber Security Instant Savings Health/Life Health & Life Home Health Team Go Ask Mom Aging Well Tar Heel Traveler Pets Family House & Home Food Local Dish Travel Out & About Out & About Home • Voters' Choice • Restaurants • Movies • Music • Books • Out & About TV • Shopping & Retail • Arts • Sports • Families • Pets • Community • Yard Sales • Seasonal Entertainment 919 Beer Lottery Foodie Contests Video Video Home Weather Forecast News Brief Day Pick 3, Pick 4 Eve. Pick 3, Pick 4 Powerball Mega Millions WRAL-TV Schedule NBC Shows Spotlight Money Desk Podcasts Obituaries Classifieds Report It About Us Advertising Privacy & Terms Mobile Apps & Services National News 'Like an oversized dog kennel': Former Alligator Alcatraz worker speaks out about facility conditions Tags: Florida , immigration Leave this field blank Your e-mail address: * Your friends e-mail addresses (comma separated): * Subject: * Message: * A friend wanted you to see this item from WRAL.com: https://wr.al/1UlnH "I thought it would get better, but it never did." A former worker of the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" is speaking out for the first time of the conditions inside the facility. Show Transcript I thought it would get better, but it's just, it never did. This is Lindsay, and this is how she describes what she saw when she spent a week working at the controversial Alligator Alcatraz. It's inhumane the way that they're keeping their residents. We're using her first name because she worries about her family's privacy and online harassment. When I got there, it was overwhelming. She shared her state of Florida credential, which lists her position as a corrections officer. They say it was going to be 5 days on. Two days off. She also provided us with a copy of her contract with Garder World Federal Services, a security company reported as one of the vendors at Alligator Alcatraz. A job posting on the company's LinkedIn account shows that we're hiring for the position a month ago, offering $26 an hour. I was aware that it was going to be the Alligator Alcatraz. While Lindsay knew she was going to be living in a shared trailer, she says the conditions were rough for everyone there. We had to use the portage Johns. We didn't have hot water half the time. Um, our bathrooms were. Backed up Oh NBC 6 has reported similar accounts from advocates, detainees, and their families. It looked like an oversized dog kennel, she says. Each tent had 8 large cages. Each pod holds 35 to 38 inmates. Um, they have bunk beds in them. Do the math, and that means each tent holds close to 300 detainees. They have no sunlight. There's no clock in there. They don't even know what time of the day it is. They shower every other day or every 4 days. The bathrooms are backed up because you got so many people using them. On rainy days, she says the water pours into the tents. She described the conditions as miserable, not to forget the constant battle with mosquitoes. Not everybody there is a criminal. NBC 6 News has asked the state for a list of detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, but has not received it. Last month, a Human Rights Watch report found nearly 70. 2% of people detained had no criminal history. These people are still human. They pulled them from their livelihood. They're scared. They don't speak our language. Lindsey says she was fired from the facility after she caught COVID and was accused of altering medical paperwork submitted to the company. She denies the allegations and says she's coming forward because of what she saw, and yeah, I was fired and yeah, I'm pissed off, but. More so than ever, like. They're doing wrong. Popular Recommended Video Girls Basketball Basketball Photos: Greensboro Day vs. Forsyth Country Day girls (Jan. 6, 2026) Girls Basketball Basketball Photos: Stuart Cramer vs Burns girls (Jan. 16, 2026) Boys Basketball Basketball Photos: Farmville Central vs. Kinston boys basketball (Jan. 21, 2026) Boys Basketball Basketball Photos: Greensboro Day vs. Forsyth Country Day boys (Jan. 6, 2026) Girls Basketball Basketball Photos: Farmville Central vs. Kinston girls basketball (Jan. 21, 2026) NC State NC State's Will Wade on final month of regular season: 'We've got a lot of work ahead of us' Super Bowl Former UNC coach Mack Brown on Drake Maye playing in Super Bowl LX: 'He's just a winner' Olympics Ski moutaineering debuts at 2026 Winter Olympics Entertainment Slideshow: Outfits from 2026 Met Gala Weather Slideshow: Atlas V rocket launch lights up NC skies Local News Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at DBAP Local News North Carolina hemp industry faces upheaval as Senate bill threatens major THC product ban Weather Photos: Northern Lights' illuminate NC sky (November 2025) Local News Durham woman discovers love letter written by WWI soldier during home renovation 5 On Your Side Tax Pros on Call: Get your tax filing questions answered WRAL Investigates Orange County attributes community support to low euthanasia rates in animal shelter 5 On Your Side Space heater safety: Follow these tips to avoid a fire Outdoors 2025-26 NC ski season: Here's your guide to NC ski resorts Outdoors 2025 Raleigh Christmas Parade: Parking tips, timeline and streaming info Local News Where to find food, resources in the wake of SNAP benefits suspension Family Duke study reveals alarming effects of flavored e-cigarettes on pregnancy and fetal health Traffic Flight Tracker: Any flight, any airport Family Holiday markets: Shop for unique, local gifts around the Triangle NC State NC State's Will Wade on final month of regular season: 'We've got a lot of work ahead of us' Super Bowl Former UNC coach Mack Brown on Drake Maye playing in Super Bowl LX: 'He's just a winner' Olympics Ski moutaineering debuts at 2026 Winter Olympics NBA Basketball Night in America debuts Sunday with doubleheader on NBC Colleges Triangle football wins + Will Wade brings 'reckoning' to Raleigh + Caleb Wilson's dunk-filled debut WRALSportsFan The Adam Gold Show North Carolina Former UNC head coach Mack Brown thinks Drake Maye could go down as one of the best to ever play Hurricanes Brind'Amour: You can't understate the emotional lift College Football UNC, Bill Belichick vying for first ACC win vs. Virginia