Georgia Prisons

I have almost died by negligence of the prison officials for my serious medical needs. One officer made the statement that “he’s just an inmate, I don’t care if he dies in front of a nurse and 59 other inmates,” which he also said it was not his problem. He did not want to call medical as the nurse told him to do, which he finally did after about 20 minutes of her yelling at him. I was took to medical unconscious and the nurse said later that she thought I was dead, when she came to medical. I woke up with a IV in my arm.

They keep our unit so cold we have to sleep in all our clothes and coat to stay warm.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufference of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present [government] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.” (1)

Underlying the Eighth Amendment is a fundamental premise that prisoners are not to be treated as less than human beings. (2) The amendment is phrased in general terms rather than specific ones so that while the underlying principle remains constant in its essentials, the precise standards by which courts measure compliance with it do not. (3) “It follows that when confronting the question whether penal confinement in all its dimensions is consistent with constitutional rule, the courts judgment must be informed by the current and enlightened scientific opinion as to the conditions necessary to insure good physical and mental health for prisoners.” (4)

“The content of the Eighth Amendment is not static but must draw its meaning from the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society. The Eighth Amendment’s ban on inflicting cruel and unusual punishments, made applicable to the States by the Fourteenth Amendment, proscribe[s] more than physically barbarous punishments. It prohibits penalties that are grossly disproportionate to the offense, as well as those that transgress today’s broad and idealistic concepts of dignity, civilized standards, humanity, and decency. (5)” Thus, conditions which may have been acceptable long ago may be considered unnecessarily cruel in light of our growing understanding of human needs and the changing norms of our society.” (6) “The conditions of which prisoners are housed, like the poverty line, is a function of society’s standard of living. As that standard rises, the standard of minimum decency of prison conditions, like the poverty line, rises too.” (7)

The State of Georgia’s Department of Corrections (GDC), a subdivision of the Georgia Government, has fairly recently implemented a statewide long-term segregation program officially labeled the Tier II Administrative Segregation Program (Tier II Program), initially devised and sanctioned by former GDC commissioner, Brian Owens, revised and further developed by the current GDC Commissioner, Homer Bryson, and codified under formal Departmental policy as Standard Operating Procedure II B09-0003 (Hereafter “Tier II Program Policy”). The totality of the practices characterizing confinement in the Tier II Program encroaches upon practically every civil right retained by prisoners by virtue of the state and federal constitutions, and amount to a collection of punitive procedures calculated to inflict severe physical and/or mental pain or suffering and constitutes TORTURE in violation of federal statutory law (8), as well as deliberate TORTURE perpetrated under color of official authority in violation of universally accepted norms of the international law of human rights, i.e., the law of nations.

The general restrictions of confinement conditions typifying a prisoner’s confinement in the Tier II Program include mandated solitary confinement (9) for twenty-four hours a day; the utilization of isolation cells (akin to sensory deprivation (10) tanks) intentionally stripped of their furnishings (including even the wall-mounted mirrors so that the prisoner is deprived of the sight of his own reflection); the deprivation of virtually all human contact and environmental or sensory stimuli due to not only the prisoner’s solitary confinement, but also the metal strips welded to the window on the doors of the cell in the Tier II Program housing units and metal coverings over the windows located at the back of those cells which are intended to prevent the prisoner from being able to see outside the cell itself, the limitations on phone calls and visitations (all visits for Tier II situated prisoners are non-contact), the denial of access to group religious worship services, the general and law libraries, educational and vocational programs, televisions, radios and other information dissemination medium, and the restrictions on any personal photos, books of any nature, magazines, newspapers, periodicals, religious literature, educational and legal materials, etc. Moreover, a prisoner, upon being assigned to the tier II program, is also denied all access to the prison commissary, including the ability to purchase hygiene related items, and is deprived of virtually all of his personal property. And Tier II situated prisoners are subjected to extreme, harrassive, if not absurd, security measures.

For example, prisoners in the Tier II Program are, with increasing frequencies, being made to strip completely naked whenever they’re required to leave their cells for any reason, such as for a brief trip to the in-house medical unit, or to be escorted to the shower. Once naked, they are then instructed to turn their back to instructor, bend forward at the waist “at a ninety degree angle,” reach backward–while still bent forward–and spread their buttocks apart so as to provide the instructor with a view of the inside of their rectum. Refusal usually results in a brutal assault involving various uses of force (e.g. physical, chemical agents, tasers/stun guns); it always results in the denial of some basic human necessity and right, such as showers or opportunities for out-of-cell exercise. And when such incidents occur, prisoners are afterwards denied the proper mediums through which the report these nature of abuses.

Now, to return from our digression, a prisoner’s assignment to the Tier II Program–and, therefore, his subjection to the conditions and restrictions by which his confinement in Tier II Program housing units is characterized–is of indefinite duration. We deduce this not only from personal experience, but because the Tier II Program Policy has, throughout its existence, contained a clause limiting a prisoner’s assignment to the Tier II Program to 24 months maximum. However, the latest revision–in fact, the third revision–of the Tier II Program Policy excludes this proviso. The nullification of this stipulation is, indeed, the only change in the latest “revision” of Tier II Program Policy; everything else remained the same verbatim from the second revised version.

Tier II Program Policy explicitly states that the Tier II Program “is not a punitive measure.” (11) however, this same Tier II Program Policy squarely contradicts that statement revealing that prisoners are assigned to Tier II Program “for long-term disciplinary sanctions.” (12) Therefore, although it is dubbed “administrative segregation”–which, in legal theory, isn’t supposed to be punitive in nature (13)–the Tier II Program is actually punitive isolation, or, euphemistically, disciplinary segregation. We suppose it worth mentioning here that the restrictions and conditions characterizing confinement in the Tier II Program are significantly more severe in degree than those characterizing the punitive measures defined by the GDC as “disciplinary segregation” and “high max”, and admittedly employed by it as a means to discipline or otherwise punish prisoners.

The Tier II Program is also, in word and practice, a compulsory behavior modification (14) program. (15) Upon placement of a prisoner in a Tier II Program housing unit, that prisoner is isolated, stripped all personal property, deprived of virtually all contact with other people and environmental or sensory stimuli, and not allowed any reading material, including religious materials. It is under these circumstances that positive and negative reinforcements are applied on the prisoner to recondition his “behavior” and “attitude” to be submissive and subservient towards his captors. This procedure goes on for as long as necessary until the prisoner “breaks”. Of course, the prisoner is subject for reconditioning any time the prisoner authorities may feel they are losing cognitive influence over the brainwashed “inmate”. And the language of the Tier II Program Policy clearly indicates that if a prisoner refuses to participate in this dehumanizing ordeal, he will never be considered by prison authorities for reassignment to the general prison population. (16) Additionally, in the Tier II Program, practically all privileges–most of which are available to prisoners in the general population as a matter of right–are allocated on the basis of their behavior.

With regard to the process by which prisoners are assigned to the Tier II Program, the Tier II Program Policy’s own procedural safeguards, the observance of which is mandated by the policy before a prisoner can be assigned to the Tier II Program, are, in our experience, never followed. This means that prisoners’ assignment to the Tier II Program are based on the arbitrary and capricious whim of prison officials to begin with, and are, consequently, violative of the “touchstone” of due process, which is protection of the individual against arbitrary action of government. (17) We do not hereby imply by pointing out this deficiency that, if procedural safeguards were being observed by prison officials, we would be of the opinion that the state of Georgia would then be authorized to subject its prisoners to type of treatment described herein–and indefinitely at that. It is well-settled by this country’s highest legal institution–the Supreme Court of the United States–that certain forms of punishment are considered cruel and an unusual without regard to the conduct for which they are imposed. (18) Thus, “[i]t is not enough to cite a prisoner’s history of misconduct and conclude that any measure of restraint is appropriate. Even recalcitrant prisoners are entitled to the minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities. The question is whether even inspite of misconduct, the deprivation does so much harm to a prisoner that it is intolerable to the sensibilities of a civilized society no matter what the circumstances.” (19)

We have so far labored to paint for you as objective a picture as we could concerning the general restrictions and confinement conditions to which the state of Georgia subjects, at any given time, a considerable portion of its prisoner population, and to which the remainder of that populace may, at any time, be subjected based, again, on the arbitrary and capricious whim of prison authorities, restrictions and confinement conditions that, when taken together, unquestionably constitute punishment beyond the original, ordinary, incarceration of prisoners in the Georgia Prison system. We’ve said nothing of the other many and diverse cruelties and inhumanities tacitly endorsed, sponsored, and perpetrated in Tier II housing units statewide by an acquiescent state of Georgia, such as the intentional denial of adequate portions of nutritional foods to Tier II situated prisoners as a punitive measure of attempting to modify their behavior through systematic starvation; the excessive vermin infestation in already decrepit Tier II housing units and shower areas; the punitive, retaliatory, and harrassive use of “stripped cell” (20); the inadequate provision of medical care; the general degrading, demeaning, and dehumanizing day to day treatment of prisoners by prison authorities; the punitive, retaliatory, malicious, sadistic, or otherwise unjustified various uses of force (several of which are noted above) being carried out, with impunity, by rogue correctional officers acting under the aegis of both supervisory and administrative prison officials–and we could go on. But our primary intent at this point in our discussion is to reveal that, in addition to the intrinsic egregiousness of the Tier II Program practices, these conditions starkly contrast with those experienced by prisoners in the general prisoner population.

Extolled by Commissioner Bryson as the Tier II Program’s ultimate objective, the goal of “preparing [prisoners] for reentry into society.” (21) To say that it should be difficult for any rational, civilized mind to conceive of how refusing to allow prisoners to possess photos of their loved ones–and, in the instance of some prisoners, indefinitely–relates in any way to this stated objective would be an understatement, especially when considering the reality that the bulk of prisoners do not even receive visitation due to the discouraging Tier II Program visitation policies. (22) And what can be said of a system that refuses to allow prisoners to possess religious literature?

Prisoners “rehabilitation” has been identified by the Supreme court as a “legitimate” function of a correctional system. (23) It is, in our collective opinion, clear that prisoners required to live under the circumstances expounded herein stand no chance of leaving a correctional institution (24) with a more positive and constructive attitude than the one they brought in. Since the advent of prisoner civil rights litigation, courts in general have repeatedly found that conditions much less severe than the totality of those described herein not only shocks the conscience of reasonably civilized people and offends in a fundamental way contemporary standards of decency, but create an environment that not only makes it impossible for prisoners to rehabilitate themselves but makes dehabilitation inevitable, as well as contributes to their mental and physical degeneration and decreases their chances of successful reintegration upon release. And because in the Tier II Program so many basic aspects of a prisoner’s daily life are arbitrarily labeled “privileges,” the Tier II Program actually breeds disrespect for authority and fosters a malicious compliance which undermines the relational skills needed for rehabilitation. “Not only is it cruel and unusual punishment to confine a person in an institution under circumstances which increase the likelihood of future confinement, but these same conditions defeat the goal of rehabilitation which officials have set for their institutions.” (25)

In the light of the foregoing, what the Tier II Program irrefutably amounts to is a collection of procedures that effectively operate to create societal liabilities of men in a country that propagates to the rest of the world at large that its aggregate citizenry constitutes a “maturing society”.

The several definitions of “tyranny” include “cruel and oppressive government or rule; a nation under such cruel and oppressive government; [and/or] cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.” (26) A “tyrant” can be defined as “a cruel and oppressive ruler, [or] a person exercising power or control in a cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary way.” Some of the many definitions of “official” include “of or relating to an authority or public body and its duties, actions, and responsibilities; having the approval or authorization of such a body; [and/or] employed by such a body in a position of authority or trust.” (26)

And one of the several definitions of “public” includes “of or provided by the government….” (26) And, according to the Declaration of Independence, the government of this country derives its power from the consent of the governed. (1) Because, as noted above, the judiciary of this country–including the highest judicial authority in the land–are more or less in unanimous agreement that the confinement conditions outlined in this dissertation–singly in some instances, collectively in others–constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the United States Constitution, this same judiciary has by virtue of its authoritative, decisive holdings condemned as tyrants those public officials employed by the GDC who are perpetrating these unconstitutional conditions as a matter of regulation and practice, and the Georgia government itself as one of Tyranny–the quintessential form of government that preceded the American Revolution and, consequently, the establishment of the United States of America, for that tyranny was intolerable to the founding fathers of this country.

The question which must unavoidably be posed at this point is: Are we men, or are we property; are we men, or are we something less than animals? Even an animal, kept as a pet, must legally be afforded the “minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities.” If the owner of that animal neglects to do so, he or she stands in violation of the law of this country, and is subject to the penalties concomitant with being adjudicated a criminal, including up to imprisonment. Of how much more valuable–of how much more worth–is sentient, thinking man? And as for those who are not presently incarcerated–including those who never have been–keep in mind that, as inhabitants of this country, you all, too, by that very fact may, at any given time, potentially be susceptible to some form of the type of treatment described herein.

The supreme court said of Nineteenth Century solitary confinement that “[a] considerable number of prisoners fell, after even a short confinement, into a semi-fatuous condition, from which it was next to impossible to arouse them, and others became violently insane; others still, committed suicide; while those who stood the ordeal better were not generally reformed, and those in most cases did not recover sufficient mental activity to be of any subsequent service to the community.” (27) The pertinent ruling went on to reveal that as far back as the 1850s the prison discipline of solitary confinement was “found to be too severe”. (27) Even as far back as Great Britain’s George II (1683-1760), solitary confinement was statutorily considered as an additional punishment of such a severe kind that it was spoken of as “a further terror and peculiar mark of infamy” to be added to the punishment of death. (28) In Great Britain, as in other countries, public sentiment revolted against this severity, and during the reign of William IV (1830-7) the additional punishment of solitary confinement was repealed. (28)

If, during the particular period in man’s history when public lynchings were sanctioned by the state, the punishment of solitary confinement was considered intolerable to the sensibilities of the society of those days, how is it, then, we find ourselves well into the Twenty-First Century and solitary confinement is not only being rampantly promulgated across the nation as the ideal means of discipline within the correctional context, but those being thrown into these meticulously designed psychological torture chambers are being kept there indefinitely? Is it that the authoritative power of the supreme court’s gavel is waning? Or is this cancerous spread of the use of solitary confinement–and the multifarious tortuous practices associated therewith–by prison authorities nationwide are simply the natural result of a contemporary American regime that displays, by the increasing audaciousness of its day to day activities, its insolent disregard for both civil and human rights of its nationwide citizenry?

Even if we were to presume, in yet another alternative, that the living conditions and the overall treatment to which the State of Georgia is currently subjecting its prisoners confined in Tier II Program housing units do parallel with the “evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society,” such a view would, for reasons already explained above, be inherently contradictory, and, therefore, wholly untenable; for how can the contemporary society of this country on the one hand embrace forms of punishment that were publicly condemned by the society of this very country as early as approximately two centuries ago, and on the other hand still be afforded the high esteem of being considered a “maturing society” marked by “evolving standards of decency”?

Our intent, in composing this letter, is simply to appeal to humanity for both a definition and appraisal of itself. For, based on our collective perspective, far too much time has elapsed since the last time in this land that age-old nemesis of man–that leviathan known as Tyranny–was sternly confronted and called to account by the people for the myriad injustices with which it is infamously known to plague the various human societies, almost incessantly. (May the courageous souls of the patriarchs of this country forever rest in peace!) It has not been our intent to attempt to cast ourselves in the light of the blameless; for we are humans with just as many shortcomings as any other human. It is true we have been adjudicated “criminals” by the Georgia government–albeit the same of which itself has been shown herein to be tyrannical–but we are humans nonetheless.

The late Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, once opined:

In conclusion, “[p]ersons convicted of crimes deserved to be punished, but this does not give the state license to make prisoners objects of unguided behavior control experiments.” (30) This is because, as noted above at the onset of our discussion concerning Georgia’s treatment of its prisoners, underlying the Eighth Amendment is a fundamental premise that prisoners are not to be treated as less than human beings. (2)

We, the undersigned, are currently contesting our confinement conditions by means of the Federal Judiciary in the cases of Nolley v. Nelson, no. 5:15-CV-75-CAR(M.D.GA, Reid v. Bryson, no. 6:16-CV-116-JRH(S.D.GA), Grazeta v. Bryson, no. 6:16-CV-141-JRH(S.D.GA), and Quintanilla v. Bryson, no. 6:17-CV-4-JRH(S.D.GA), respectively. With the exception of Mr. Reid, we are all currently confined in the Tier II Program housing unit of Smith State Prison in Glennville, Georgia. (31)

I’m writing to let you all know of the way Georgia prison system have broke the very soul of us prisoners. Not only have they broken the souls of many, but they’re using our own kind (prisoners) to oppress for them.

Here in Georgia, they have a program Tier II that’s violating a lot of the human rights. It’s a 9 month program as you’re told, but any type of rebellious actions will lead to a prisoner doing years on said program. The cells are very nasty, bugs are always getting on us behind these doors, the food is very small amounts, cold and if one speaks out too loud then you do not eat per the supervisor. The grievance process is a joke, there’s a copy of what the chief counselor sent me, for a grievance that I wrote 3 months ago, funny how the lady put January 3, 2016 isn’t it.

I’m an inmate who’s been on this said program Tier II farce. The Tier II program has 3 stages that one must complete. We have had many brothers who have stopped eating, but all is done placed on a strip cell. I myself have set many cells on fire, been tasered, and pepper sprayed for standing up for the rights of us prisoners.

A lot of the world was stressing Black Lives Matter, what about inmates lives matter? Every other day in some city or state a prisoner dies from hands of the overseers. I’m located in Valdesta State prison, in Georgia where prisoners have been murdered, beat, etc. The saddest that I have witnessed two fellow brothers of mine started a fire and the officers did nothing, being that both of ’em was trying to not do their jobs. When we prisoners started kicking and banging on the door, due to the smoke was very thick in the dorm, they then chose to come in the dorm and went to the cell that was ablaze and asked did the prisoners wish to see mental health. To make a sad story short, both prisoners died due to the smoke.

I’m very sad to say that only about 15 prisoner stood up on September 9, 2016. Others just talked about it. Today is January 9, 2017 and it’s been 3 hours since the officers last came in the dorm to check on us inmates. I’ve been beating on the door and yelling to get their attention. Well I was just dropping you all some words letting you know what’s going on. I will keep you updated on what all me and others are doing to free ourselves of this slave lockdown.

They don’t even allow these new inmates protective custody at this bullshit prison and we just had a brother killed this morning in E-House. Its crazy as hell at this country ass red neck prison and sad to say we have a black warden by the name of Stanley Williams that runs the prison. What a joke!

I am writing with grave concern to the health, safety, treatment and welfare of prisoners at Cobb County Adult Detention Center (CCADC). We have asked for assistance, placed internal grievances and other inquiry to this supplication to no avail. I hope you or someone you know can help us.

• We are given soiled and stained clothes and linen.
• We are often without hot water.
• Only certain inmates get juice at lunch (which is a lack of equal treatment).
• The air quality/ventilation is poor, causing us to cough and sneeze, and we’re not sure what’s in the air.
• There is black mold in the showers (which is potentially cancerous). In addition to the black mold there is fungus, mildew and bacteria in the shower.
• Our drinking fountain is shut off, and we are forced to get drinking water from the bathroom sink where the toilets are, where people brush their teeth, blow their nose, wash their clothes and bodies. This is disgusting.
• Black particles are in the water which leaves a residue in your cup.
• During transport, we are shackled at the ankles, waist and handcuffed with no seat belts, with some prisoners extradited in kennel trucks for hundreds of miles.
• Life is jeopardized by placing prisoners in wrong population.
• Life is also jeopardized with the judge stating your charges at your first appearance, in front of other prisoners, even after you state you knew your charges to keep them from being stated openly.
• There are no cameras by/in the dorm to record/capture abuse by deputies and/or other inmates.
• It takes 15 to 30 minutes, or more, for medical or other emergency response.
• Wrong medicine is dispensed to prisoners. One had to be recessed and hospitalized.
• We are not given bleach or other germ-killing and/or cleaning supplies to properly disinfect toilets, showers, etc.

There is an appearance of misappropriation of government funds. CCADC vehemently renders a regime of depraved propaganda for a disparaged profligate profit. The leadership’s resistance to improve the dismal inflictive behavior by the deputies and at least render humane treatment is utterly despicable. The abuse is ubiquitous and they treat us as if we are detritus. We are innocent till proven guilty, yet our religious rights, due process, equal treatment, and civil rights are oppressed and violated daily. We seek an inquest and thorough probe by an outside source/entity. We seek justice. We want our civil liberties to be adhered to; we want to be treated like are are human. The harassment, the unhealthy, unsanitary, unsafe conditions and abuse must cease and desist.

I am on the Tier II program in Georgia prison system and they are doing us bad here. They are not feeding us what we are supposed to get and they are putting people on strip cell for over 48 hours and they are not giving us any newspaper that our family has order for us. That’s violating our 1st Amendment rights. So your newsletter help me and try and fight the system to get what we are supposed to get and if you could give me any advice on how to go at it that would be helpful.

I am writing you to ask for the Grievance Petition for Georgia so I can join the campaign. I recently was in involuntary assignment to Administrative segregation for two months and was given a D.R. For being in segregation when it was not my choice. I was denied medical treatment the whole time. I filed a grievance about medical and was told 40 days later that I could not file a grievance while on administrative segregation.

I am writing with grave concern to the health, safety, treatment and welfare of inmates at Cobb County Adult detention Center (CCADC). We have asked for assistance, placed internal grievances and other inquiry to this supplication to no avail. I hope you or someone you know can help us.

We are given soiled and stained clothes and linen. We are often without hot water. Only certain inmates get juice at lunch. The air quality/ventilation is poor, causing us to cough and sneeze, not sure what’s in the air. There is black mold in the showers (potentially cancerous). Our drinking fountain is shut off, we are forced to get drinking water from the bathroom sink where the toilets are, where people brush their teeth, blow their nose, wash their clothes and bodies. This is disgusting and black particles are in the water which leave a residue in your cup. In addition to the black mold there is fungus, mildew and bacteria in the shower.

During transport we are shackled at the ankles, waist and handcuffed with no seatbelts. Some inmates are extradited in kennel trucks for hundreds of miles. Life is jeopardized by placing inmates in wrong population and the judge stating your charges in first appearance in front of other inmates even after you stating you know your charges to keep them from being stated openly.

There are no cameras by/in the dorm to record/capture abuse by deputies and/or other inamtes. 15 to 30 minutes or more for medical or other emergency response. Wrong medicine dispensed to inmates, one had to be recessed and hospitalized. No bleach or other germ killing cleaning supplies to properly disinfect toilets, showers, etc.

There is an appearance of misappropriation of government funds. CCADC vehemently renders a regime of depraved propaganda for a profit. The leadership resistance to improve the dismal inflictive behaviors by the deputies and at least render humane treatment is utterly dispicable. The abuse is ubiquitous and they treat us as if we are detritus. Our rights, due process, equal treatment and civil rights are oppressed and violated daily. We seek an inquest and thorough probe by an outside source/entity. We seek justice. We want our civil liberties to be adhered to, we want to be treated like we are human. The harassment, the unhealthy, unsanitary, unsafe conditions and abuse must cease and desist. We need your help to expose it and correct it.

August was a long month on the tier here at Hancock State Prison. Oppression here is a very real thing. Forced to live in a tiny two men cell with another person. We shower 3 times a week which is really the only time we are taken from our cells.

We are denied our right to medical treatment which I have had to experience first hand. I broke my wrist last month and have still yet to receive any kind of treatment and expect to be given some 200mg Ibuprofin with instructions to take 3 whenever there is pain. I’ve filed a grievance waiting to see what good that does.

They say they feed us an adequate diet which is laughable. I came to the Tier progrma 93 days ago at 6’3 weighing 178lbs. I now weigh 154 lbs so I don’t know if I’m getting enough calories why am I losing so much weight. Yeah the PA couldn’t explain it either. He said I was a perfect weight for my size. That the weight I have lost was due to my not eating all the junk they sell on the store.

It’s hard here we can’t pass notes from cell to cell using string lines on Monday - Friday between the hours of 5am until 5pm. We are forced to talk through vents to neighbors on either side of us if we wish to communicate with anyone other than the guy in the cell with us. We’re supposed to be given indigent supplies once a week but it’s more like every other week and if you’re asleep when they come in or in the shower your screwed til the next time they pass them out.

It’s started to cool off here some thankfully. This building has no AC. The only ventilation we get is from the small meshed over window. Altogether conditions here are deplorable. I struggle on from day to day because I refuse to be beaten by this system. I study any and all law work or literature I am able to get my hands on.

I am a prisoner in the State of Georgia that seeks to enforce the civil rights of all human beings and of all ethnic groups. I have attempted to bring an inhuman living conditions case against the prison system and on the behalf of all similarly situated. The complaint is set out below.

Sir, it is clear after presenting these issues to two courts and the Attorney General of Georgia that these officials do not care that the lives of many are in grave danger.

We are seeking the assistance of your office. The name and address of the prison, Attorney General, and the federal judge is listed at the end of this communique.

Shocking Inhuman history of prison conditions case

On July 10, 2016, Plaintiff, Robert F. Smith, submitted for filing his 42 U.S.C. 1983 Civil Rights complaint wherein he demonstrated with documentary evidence that some forty thousand (40,000) individual human beings from all ethnic groups were being subjected to inhuman and barbaric living conditions.

Smith further demonstrated that many of the individual human beings from all ethic groups were being denied the mandated protection of prison authority from the attacks of certain gang affiliated inmates. That the individuals from all ethic groups in which requested from prison authority the protection from certain affiliated gang members were then punished by, and are still being punished, prison authority by placement in a mandatory nine months lockdown disciplinary program wherein all inmate personal property and store privileges have been taken.

Smith’s complaint named as Plaintiffs David Cordova, and all others similarly situated. Said complaint was filed in the Middle District Federal Court in Macon, Georgia, on July 13, 2016.

On August 18, 2016, Federal Judge Marc T. Treadwell dismissed Smith’s civil rights complaint in its entirety on the premise that the plaintiffs could not joint together in a single action.

Smith’s complaint further demonstrated that every single standard operating procedure written to govern the running of the prison was not being adhered to, that because said SOPs were not being followed by prison authority, many many individuals from all ethnic groups constitutional rights were being violated, i.e.
Right to be free from physical abuse
Right to due process
Right to equal protection
Right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment

Smith further presented the failure of prison authority to follow their standard operating procedures to the state court as required in the form of an extra ordinary emergency of writ of mandamus, as of date that action is being held up by the state courts with nothing having been brought before same and having been ruled on.

Prison authority have minimized the ventilation in each inmate cell dramatically by placing iron metal plates over each and every ventilation duct and throughout the entire prison.

The obstruction of ventilation by the iron metal plates combined with heat places us human beings in a substantial risk of deceases such as tuberculosis as well as:
1. Most of the time it feels as if one’s chest is heavily burdened with a huge amount of weight due to the lack of clean air.
2. Severe burning sensation in chest with mild to severe dizziness.
3. Tingling sensation in ones limbs from a lack of oxygen in ones body.

When the plaintiff stand with their nose stuck directly into the 4 by 21 inch window opening, the conditions start to subside.

HEAT

Due to the rooms being so closed up with no ventilation and a very small window opening between say 4:00 hours and 13:00 hours the temperatures are between 85 to 95 degrees. Between 13:00 and 19:00 hours the temperatures reach between 95 to 105, maybe 110 because the sun makes direct contact with the back side of rooms. Plaintiffs suffers the following list of health problems: 1. headaches, 2. nausea, 3. loss of appetite, 4. loss of weight, 5. severe inability to sleep on plastic mattresses, or 6. to breath at time. See Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. I, II, III, V, VI, VII, VII, X, XII, XVII(2), XXV(1)

Marc T. Treadwell
U.S. Federal Judge
U.S. District Court
Office of the Clerk
PO Box 128
Macon, GA 31202