The Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied clemency for Brandon Rhode. Please continue to voice your opposition to Rainbow Medical Associates. Vigils will be held around the state, please see the GFADP website for more information regarding a location in your area.
Violent Eruptions
Do you have a family member incarcerated in GA? We’ve been getting reports of violence from several prisons run by the good ol’ folks Georgia Department of Corrections (as well as their county relations). Unfortunately the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Creative Loafing, the Sunday Paper and the Macon Telegraph haven’t picked up the stories- not that the officers report the events themselves. And inmates have too little a voice. This is a challenge we face and also part of the reason we started the Georgia Prisons blog. We’ve heard from people with family at a few different locations lately.
* Autry has had significant and very dangerous gang violence over the past few weeks, but; a nurse who had been a problem is no longer there. She has moved on to Chatham County Jail where she continues to cause problems for those being housed there.
* Dooly is infested with gangs and drugs and both have brought the place to heightened levels of violence which is disturbing to inmates who have been locked up for years and say that they’ve not seen it this bad in a while.
* Hays was the scene of a total shake down on Sunday, September 12th and a number of inmates were plasti-cuffed while around a half dozen officers were cuffed. Later it was learned that at least 3 officers had been arrested. This was a coordinated effort by both federal and state agencies according to family members who witnessed part of it.
* Smith has endured increasing violence over the past few months. The G building was the site of a particular incident that required a medical helicopter and ultimately was the death of one. The place was locked down Friday and small groups were escorted to eat dinner making it close to midnight before many ate (Fridays are lunch free days, by the way). The Tact squad appeared today and broke ear phones of one guy who had been told to hold onto a TV remote by a guard. Another inmate received a new pair of shoes yesterday only to have them sliced by the Tact squad today because they found two cigarettes in his box. He asked why they were slicing his shoes and the Tact squad attempted to have him given a DR for masturbation while looking at a female officer. This was not done, however; the guy did get taken away for a majority of the day. Countless inmates received DRs for the first time in years today simply because of the Tact squad.
* Alto has been very much on edge since tobacco was removed from their facility in August. The tension levels are becoming too much for some to handle. The same can be said for Macon State (and likely others though we have not heard directly from them).
* Calhoun has been the place of gang violence at alarming levels. Sunday evening Gangster Disciples went off on one of their members with such brutality that he began to seize.
The budget cuts have been devastating to inmates for many reasons. They have seen less and less food on their plates and the quality constantly calls to question why the FDA is not regulating it. Any programs that remain are being cut- education/ GED programs and classes are all hanging on by a thread. The consolidation of prisons means that the already overcrowded prisons are bursting at the seams. Add to that the fact that fewer and fewer employees are on duty makes the above mentioned violent incidents more frightening because of the lack of ability to obtain/ maintain control over any situation.
Take Action: Brandon Rhode Execution Date Set
The execution warrant has been signed and Brandon Rhode is set to be executed on September 21, 2010 in Jackson, Georgia. The good people at Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty have put together letters to be sent to the Board of Pardons and Paroles as well as to Rainbow Medical Associates. Please take a moment of your time today to fax these in- the fax numbers are printed at the top of each letter.
Rhode was barely 18 years old at the time the crime was committed. His teenage mother used various substances during her pregnancy and substance abuse was a norm for members of his household. At 5 years old Brandon’s stepfather attempted to kill his mother by shooting her in the head- while he was in the house. By the age of 12 Rhode was well experienced in substance abuse having been drinking, smoking pot and doing mushrooms. A year later he attempted suicide and spent three months in New Orleans Adolescent Hospital. He was released with a recovery plan that was abandoned by his parents. By 15 he had dropped out of school and been introduced to crack by his father.
From the time of conception Brandon Rhodes faced challenges on top of challenges. Please take a moment to fax a couple of letters on his behalf. Let the Board of Pardons and Parole know that execution of this young man is unacceptable. Tell Rainbow Medical Associates that no doctor, no medical professional, no private company should kill a man.
Sunday Paper Reports on Death Row Conditions
Charles Stanley of the Sunday Paper has written a piece regarding the recent changes to the treatment of inmates on GA’s Death Row (which the Department of Corrections has stated have NOTHING to do with the murder of Timothy Pruitt and the suicide of Leeland Braley). Stanley has done a good job of covering the issue and expressing how very detrimental this is to both inmates and family members. The sister of Troy Davis speaks out about other frustrations visitors meet which have caused many to cut back already.
If you haven’t already please be sure to fax and mail a letter to the Department of Corrections letting them know that this inhumane behavior is unacceptable. You can find a sample letter on the GFADP website. This letter is also posted on our site in the box on the right hand side where you may find additional documents.
Timothy Pruitt’s Death in the News
Stephen Gurr of the Gainesville Times has written an article regarding the investigation of the so-called suicide of Timothy Pruitt. Pruitt was found in his cell in November and after time in a coma passed away in December 2009. His death was called a suicide by the Department of Corrections, however; common belief has been that Jerry Jones murdered Pruitt.
Nephew of Troy Davis Speaks
The nephew of Troy Davis was recently featured on Savannah stations Fox 28 and WJCL discussing his work on behalf of his uncle’s case. The 15 year old Antone’ De’Juan Davis-Correia has been passionately speaking about his uncle’s case around the globe. Amnesty International has posted an article about the news stories and gives an update on the case.
Georgians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty Letter
The situation on Georgia’s Death Row is truly dire. We encourage you to write a letter, fax a letter, call your elected officials (any and all levels of government) to ask for their support in ending this inhumane treatment. Not a resident of Georgia? No problem! Call, write and fax anyway! The whole world is watching—let Georgia know!
Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (an excellent organization) has posted a letter that can be sent on their site and is calling it an urgent action. Please take out a few minutes from your day to help in this struggle! This is not only something that effects those housed on death row. This effects their families as well.
Urgent Action Request from SCHR
Kathryn Hamoudah, Public Policy Associate from the Southern Center for Human Rights has issued the following call to action (thank you to our friends who provided this to Georgia Prisons!):
Friends,
As you may know, the Department of Corrections has recently instituted a series of stringent measures on the men on death row, including the complete removal of contact visits and limiting the men to their cells 23 hours per day. Furthermore, the men are subjected to strip searches, including cavity searches after coming off the block. It has also come to the public’s attention that some men have been stripped naked and forced to remain in their cells without adequate bedding or heat.
According to the DOC, these measures are not a response to the recent violence, though no other explanation for such severe measures has been offered. In response, some of the men living on the row are on a hunger strike.In response, please send a letter by mail or fax ASAP to Commissioner Brian Owens, urging him to restore contact visits immediately and eliminate the use of inhumane and degrading practices in order to serve the interests of human rights and dignity.
Best,
Kathryn
Hamoudah has provided a sample letter to be sent:
January 26, 2010
Brian Owens, Commissioner
Georgia Department of Corrections
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE
Twin Towers-East, Room 854
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
VIA FACSIMILE 404.656.6434
Dear Commissioner Owens:
The Department of Corrections is charged with the very important task of working to protect and serve the citizens of Georgia. I have no doubt of the complexity of this feat. However, I come to you today with grave concerns about the current conditions at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.
As of January 1, 2010, the prison has eliminated all contact visits between death row inmates and their families and clergy. In addition, the men on Death Row are under twenty-three hour lock down; allowing only one hour for phone calls, showers, and time in the yard. Furthermore, the men are subjected to strip searches, including cavity searches after coming off the block. It has also come to the public’s attention that some men have been stripped naked and forced to remain in their cells without adequate bedding or heat. The unusual cold snap that has swept the state deepens the severity and inhumanity of these current practices. I understand that the recent deaths of Timothy Pruitt and Leeland Mark Braley led to the Department’s implementation of such measures designed to restrict movement in a way that would facilitate a safer environment, but I believe these actions are quite harmful now and in the future. The families and friends of those who have visitation privileges adhere to all prison policies. Individuals who do not comply with the rules should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Loved ones should not be at the receiving end of any internal problems within the prison. The elimination of no-contact visits is the latest and most severe of what has been a systematic depletion of privileges that create a balance for those on death row.
Abolishing contact visits creates problems across the board. It
compromises privileged conversations with clergy and pastors and private visits with family and loves ones which nurture family values, personal responsibility, and a safe environment for all. I am deeply troubled that as a result of the implementation of non-contact visits and the uncomfortable conditions for those visiting their loved ones; some of the men have asked their family members not to visit. Visitation and nurturing relationships with family, friends, clergy and other support people are essential not only to the humanity of those in prison and but also in preserving and promoting prison safety. I fear that conditions will worsen if contact visits are not restored.I appreciate your consideration of these concerns. I believe this is an
urgent matter and I implore the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification
Prison in Jackson to restore contact visits immediately and eliminate
the use of inhumane and degrading practices in order to serve the
interests of human rights and dignity.Thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
We hope that all of our readers (as well as those who reach us via Twitter) will take on this call to action. We challenge each of you to spread the word and to encourage friends, family, etc. to join in this important action!
Lapse in Posts
We at Georgia Prisons would like to apologize for our recent lapse in postings. We are dependent upon our friends out there who can send us news and issues on which we need to report. This site was started after learning of the difficulties faced by families, friends, loved ones and others who faced difficulty in their attempts to take action. Retaliatory behavior, though illegal, is a real problem in our prisons and if we can gain support and force the Department of Corrections to address and take care of the problems without inmates facing retaliation then we are successful.
Please feel free to send your concerns to us at Georgiaprisons(at)gmail.com and we will utilize our blog and Twitter to bring attention and change!
Troy Davis in recovery
Troy Davis, GA death row inmate who has gained international support for his fight for justice is currently at Augusta State Medical Prison. He injured his achilles tendon late last year and is participating in the GA Department of Corrections’ version of rehabilitation. The following is from his sister, Martina:
To all:
As many of you know Troy has been at the Augusta Prison Hospital getting physical therapy for his achilles tendon post op. They were not getting him therapy at the prison so we had to complain. Yet becuase he is a death row inmate they are afraid to do anything for him and there are no specialty guards there to andle death row prisoners. he may have to stay there another week or two and yet he really wants to go back. He is locked down 24 hours a day, no tv, no radio, no books and no commissary as previously told he would get. The warden at Jackson said since the other death row inmates are acting up, then Troy has to get punished to so he is telling the warden at the prison hospital to practically do nothing for him, even though Troy has not been at jackson when all of this started he has been at the prison hospital almost two weeks or more. We had to get the lawyers to call because the were not even letting him shower. Now he can have a shower twice a week.
I am sending you all his address in hopes that you can get him out a quick letter of support and hang in there. He cannot have books or magazines, so what I did was copy some newspaper articles, internet articles, pages out of magazines and excerpts from a few books to give him something to occupy his time. He is getting stronger and they have him riding a bike but he says he notices the weakness in his leg. The guards are very nasty to him and won’t even take him to his attorney calls and we are working on that as well. He is not even allowed phone calls to family or friends. the Warden did come down and let him call us twice when the lawyers complained that he should at least be able to call his mother and let her know he is well.
Anyway I know you all are very busy but if you have time please drop him a line soon as I don’t know how much longer he will be there because he is ready to get out of there.
Mr. Troy A. Davis
Augusta State Medical Prison
#657378
3001 Gordon Highway
Grovetown, Georgia 30813
Thank you so very much
Martina
Georgia Prisons 