Call the GA Governor on behalf of peaceful striking inmates

[duhneece]

I saw a bloody, handcuffed inmate on
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=184809271537219
who had been part of a non-violent inmate strike, asking to be paid something for the work they do, access to families via reasonable phone charges, humane conditions and they have suffered brutal reprisals, etc. and have now made two calls and sent one e-mail.

You can call the Georgia Governor at 404-656-1776 and tell him that the Georgia Dept of Correction have 'disappeared' 37 inmates and is not negotiating with the NAACP, ACLU or the Concerned Citizens who have been contacting them....please
Some background:
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_7536.shtml
*
http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/brutal-reprisals-against-peaceful-ga-inmate-strikers-confirmed-was-one-victim-hidden-weeks-p

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_7536.shtml
> *
>
> links to Coalition press releases:
> http://georgiagreenparty.org/ChallengingMassIncarceration
>
> http://georgiagreenparty.org/Media/2010/12/17/AdvocatesMeetWithPrisonOfficials
>
>
> http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/brutal-reprisals-against-peaceful-ga-inmate-strikers-confirmed-was-one-victim-hidden-weeks-p

[Tsiyu]

1. "when were you in prison and I visited you?"

"When were you hungry and I fed you?"


Where have I read that?

[duhneece]

2. Matthew 25 34-40

Matthew 25:34-40 (New American Standard Bible)

34"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, (A)inherit the kingdom prepared for you (B)from the foundation of the world.

35'For (C)I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; (D)I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

36(E)naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you (F)visited Me; (G)I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

38'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

40"(H)The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, (I)to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Being commanded to see Jesus in/as the most vulnerable, least powerful among us always reminds me of the Buddhist 'namaste', "what's sacred in me honors what is sacred in you."

[bobbolink]

6. It also says that that is how People Will Be JUDGED. It's not just a suggestion....

However, this calls for more than visiting.. this calls for radical action.

[EFerrari]

3. K&R

[duhneece]

4. Thanks. The prison population is such a vulnerable one

I admired the non-violent strike that inmates from many Georgia prisons organized to ask for reasonable phone charges to stay connected to their families, to be paid for the work they did. Across black, white, hispanic...across all ethnic & religious lines that can be drawn, they organized and planned to stay in their cells.

But there's been brutal reprisal, inmates transferred with no notification of family, denial from the GA Dept of Corrections.

[EFerrari]

5. Thanks for posting, duhneece.

[msanthrope]

7. This info is a bit old--the ACLU got an investigation going and guards have been suspended..

ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Seven Georgia Department of Corrections officers have been suspended with pay in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred after a prison work strike.
In a statement, the department says the suspensions are pending the outcome of an investigation into an alleged incident that occurred on December 16.

A coalition of civil rights groups claims that's when inmate Terrance Bryant Dean was severely beaten in retaliation for a six day work strike by prisoners.
Chara Fisher Jackson is the legal director of the ACLU of Georgia.

"We're pleased to see that the department of corrections is taking the stories of these beatings seriously and conducting an investigation and taking every measure necessary to ensure that people that are in department of corrections custody are free from harm and that their civil and human rights are respected."

Coalition members allege that in addition to Dean at least two other inmates were also beaten by prison guards.

More, and audio at link...

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1752664/Atlanta./Corrections.Officers.Suspended


On edit-- a personal suggestion--there's plenty of more reputable sources about this, rather than the Final Call and Facebook. It's a situtation worth looking at, but if your sources are questionable, then you aren't going to garner support with as wide an audience as possible.

Here's a great article on the strike and aftermath.

http://www.acluga.org/news/2011/01/06/georgia-prison-strike-an-outgrowth-of-nations-addiction-to-incarceration/

[annm4peace]

8. thanks for the update

the post did remind us of this story eventhough it was old. there is so much crap we need to try and stay aware of

[duhneece]

10. Thank you

I'd never heard of final call and wasn't thinking about questionability, but realize I have to if I'm asking people to be activists.

[defendandprotect]

9. K/R