In A Georgia Prison, Starving For Change

My husband Miguel and nine other inmates declared a hunger Strike on Sunday, June 10, 2012 and they are now entering their 29th day.  Miguel, has been seeking medical treatment for the injuries he sustained due to being beaten with hammers by prison officials. He has been suffering for over 18 months and hasn't had the proper medical treatment. Miguel and other inmates at Georgia Diagnostics have been denied  access to proper hygiene, medical treatment for their numerous and severe injuries, many of which were inflicted 18 months ago, status reviews every 30 days as stated in the SOP, restoration of their visiting and communications rights, and access to their meager personal property. They have filed numerous grievances and their requests have been ignored.

1. They are asking that the Georgia Department of Corrections follow its own published procedures requiring a status review of every inmate in punitive isolation every 30 days.

 2. They further insist that such evaluations be public and transparent so as to preclude the possibility of prejudicial conduct on the party of prison officials.

3, These men are being targeted and brutalized for exposing their inhumane conditions and standing up for their most basic human rights.  After 18 months of being in constant pain and being ignored these men felt they had been left with no other alternative but go on a hunger strike. 

4.  They are demanding access to proper hygiene, medical treatment, the restoration of their visiting and communications rights, and access to their meager personal property.

 5. They are asking that the Georgia Department of Corrections follow its own published procedures requiring a status review of every inmate in punitive isolation every 30 days. These men are being targeted and brutalized for exposing their inhumane conditions and standing up for their most basic human rights. 

6. The right to have one hour per day for outside exercise

Georgia is the most locked up state in the country, per ca pita. This is ground zero for injustice in the prison industrial complex considering the the US makes up 5% of the worlds population and 25% of it's prisoners. 

These men are more than inmates they are human beings.  They are someone's son, husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather. Imagine if it were your loved one that was being treated worst than an animal. Please show your humanity and sign the petition.

Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/petitions/governor-nathan-deal-our-loved-ones-are-starving-for-change?

Make the calls:

Warden, GA Diagnostic & Classification Prison, Butts County GA	770-504-2000	770-504-2006
GA Department of Corrections Ombudsman	478-992-5367 or 478-992-5358	No fax, but you can email them atOmbudsman@dcor.state.ga.us. Please add a cc to the email, info@georgiagreenparty.org.
Brian Owens, Commissioner, GA Department of Corrections, ask for his administrative assistant Peggy Chapman	478-992-5258
Georgia governor Nathan Deal	404-656-1776	Fax the governor at 404-657-7332

Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia 

• Call: 404-656-1776

Sincerely,

Delma Jackson

Guest writer