Women at Delaney Hall Report Sexual Abuse, Demand Firing of a Guard

Published: Sunday, June 14, 2026

by Michela DiLorenzo

NEWARK, N.J –  Local activists say women joined the hunger and labor strikes at Newark's Delaney Hall on Wednesday, raising concerns about women's safety and reporting alleged sexual abuse from a guard within the facility.

The strikes at the facility began on May 22, when detainees raised concerns about alleged poor living conditions. About 30 women joined this week after reports of alleged sexual abuse from a Delaney Hall guard, shifting the strikes' focus to alleged mistreatment of mothers and women with medical conditions.

The group released a list of demands, published online by the coalition group, Cosecha.  Cat Adorno, a volunteer from Cosecha, said the demands included improved conditions within the facility and freedom for female detainees.

“Some of these demands…include everything from improving conditions in the center, such as fixing the bathrooms, such as making sure there’s drinkable water,” Adorno said, “to also just demanding the freedom of all the women inside, starting with women under the age of 21, all the mothers, right, and all the women with medical conditions." 

Alongside addressing conditions within the facility, activists also report there have been 10 complaints of sexual assault or abuse against a guard from Delaney Hall. Adorno said detainees are asking this guard be removed from the facility, “One of the demands is that they fire the guard who is sexually assaulting them.”

In a statement, the GEO Group, which oversees facility operations,  did not specifically address the allegations against its guard at Delaney Hall. But the company did state that it “mandates zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in all its facilities.”

For more information reach out to Michela DiLorenzo at michela.dilorenzo@student.shu.edu 

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