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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 2 OctOber 2024

Justice Department finds Georgia is ‘deliberately indifferent’ to

unchecked abuses at its prisons

BY JEFF MARTIN, KEVIN Mc- ed in the report, including
GILL and ALANNA DURKIN abuse of LGBTQ inmates.
Associated Press A transgender woman re-
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia ported being sexually as-
prison officials are “delib- saulted at knifepoint. An-
erately indifferent” to un- other inmate said he was
checked deadly violence, “extorted for money” and
widespread drug use, ex- sexually abused after six
tortion and sexual abuse people entered his cell.
at state lockups, the U.S. “In March 2021, a man
Justice Department said from Georgia State Prison
Tuesday, threatening to who had to be hospital-
sue the state if it doesn’t ized due to physical inju-
quickly take steps to curb ries and food deprivation
rampant violations of pris- reported his cellmate had
oners’ Eighth Amendment been sexually assaulting
protections against cruel and raping him over time,”
punishment. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, center, of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division the report said. Again, the
Prison officials responded speaks about a new Department of Justice report about the state of Georgia’s prisons at a press true number of such as-
with a statement saying conference at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. On her saults may be higher. Vic-
the prison system “oper- left is U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and on her right are U.S. tims are often reluctant to
ates in a manner exceed- Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia and U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the report sexual abuse, the
ing the requirements of the Southern District of Georgia. ( Associated Press report noted. q
United States Constitution”
and decrying the possibility arrest of smugglers and
of “years of expensive and mass searches. “However,
unproductive court moni- the constant flow of con-
toring” by federal officials. traband underscores that
Allegations of violence, these efforts have been in-
chaos and “grossly inad- sufficient,” the report said.
equate” staffing are laid Inmate gangs have al-
out in the Justice Depart- legedly “co-opted” some
ment’s grim 93-page re- administrative functions, in-
port, the result of a state- cluding bed assignments,
wide civil rights investiga- said Ryan Buchanan, U.S.
tion into Georgia prisons Attorney for the Northern
announced in September District of Georgia. “The
2021. The system holds an leadership of the Georgia
estimated 50,000 people. Department of Corrections
“In America, time in prison has lost control of its facili-
should not be a sentence ties.”
to death, torture or rape,” Death behind bars
Assistant Attorney General The number of homicides
Kristen Clarke, who over- among prisoners has grown
sees the Justice Depart- over the years from seven
ment’s civil rights division, in 2018 to 35 in 2023, the
said Tuesday as she dis- report said. The report said
cussed the findings at an there were five homicides
Atlanta news conference. at four different prisons in
In its response, the Geor- just one month in 2023.
gia Department of Correc- And the homicide numbers
tions said it was “extremely are often hard to nail down
disappointed” in the ac- in Georgia Department of
cusations. The Justice De- Corrections statistics, ac-
partment’s findings “reflect cording to the report.
a fundamental misunder- “GDC reported in its June
standing of the current 2024 mortality data that,
challenges of operating for the first five months of
any prison system,” the 2024, there were 6 homi-
agency said. cides, even though at least
Who’s in control? 18 deaths were catego-
The report said large, so- rized as homicides in GDC
phisticated gangs run pris- incident reports, and GDC
on black markets traffick- assured us these suspect-
ing in drugs, weapons and ed homicides were under
electronic devices such as investigation,” the report
drones and smart phones. said. Sexual abuse allega-
Officials fight the flow of tions Multiple allegations of
contraband through the sexual abuse are recount-