|
By John Bachtell
“It’s fixin’ to be a mass grave site in these prisons,” said a terrified prisoner in an Alabama state prison. “Once (coronavirus) is in it will spread like wildfire,” said another. “It’s a death sentence,” said a third, for many older prisoners like himself. “We need help!” he cried.
The prisoners, forced to live in overcrowded conditions with no hand sanitizer, proper soap, or masks, made dire pleas for protection from coronavirus by way of a grainy video smuggled out of the facility and broadcast by CNN. The footage shows deplorable conditions, including rows of bunk beds, crammed less than three feet apart, and incarcerated men bumping into each other as they try to pass one another.
The CNN report also exposed an internal document obtained from state corrections officials sounding the alarm. “21,900 inmates being housed in crowded dormitories creates a very high exposure risk situation,” said the report.
Alabama prisons are among the most crowded in the country. Thirteen prisons are 182% past capacity, and one facility is at 300% capacity. The incarcerated individuals in the video urged the release of fellow prisoners to relieve the massive overcrowding....
READ MORE »
|
