ATLANTA, Ga. – After the U.S. Department of Justice released an investigation into Georgia’s state prisons, U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff urged the state to swiftly improve conditions.
The federal agency found the current state of Georgia’s prisons is “unconstitutional.”
In a 93-page report, the federal government says the state fails to protect incarcerated people from violence or harm.
AT A GLANCE
Key findings: Justice Department blasts Ga. prison system
- Georgia engages in a pattern or practice of violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights by failing to protect individuals from widespread physical violence and sexual abuse.
- Critical understaffing and other systemic deficiencies contribute to the widespread violence.
- Georgia allows gangs to exert improper influence on prison life, including controlling entire housing units and operating unlawful and dangerous schemes in and from the prisons.
- Read the full report
The investigation of Georgia’s state-operated prisons found that “the State of Georgia engages in a pattern or practice of violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights.”
In a letter, Ossoff and Warnock urging Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver to address the findings.
According to the report, from January 2022 through April 2023, there were more than 1,400 reported incidents of violence, including fights, assaults, hostage incidents, and homicides, across 24 of Georgia’s prisons, including all close-security prisons and most of the medium-security prisons.
The investigation also found that in 2022, there were 456 documented allegations of sexual abuse between incarcerated individuals, 35 of which were found to be substantiated.
Earlier this year, Ossoff, Warnock and Rep. Nikema Williams urged the Department of Justice to prioritize its investigation into the Fulton County Jail.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
