Prison of Death

"We don’t have to go to Georgia to find a cruel prison where death, dehumanizing conditions, and torture are the norm..."

Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where former-President Trump turned himself in last week on charges of election tampering, was called by the Atlanta Magazine “infamous" and "deadly."

So far this year, seven incarcerated people have died in that jail. Most recently, 66-year-old Alexander Hawkins was found dead in his cell after being arrested in July on a shoplifting charge.

Around 3,600 people are incarcerated at Fulton County Jail. Just under .2% of the population of that jail has died this year. In response, the United States Department of Justice announced last month that they are investigating conditions at the prison.

But  I’m not here to talk about Fulton County Jail in Georgia.

I’m here to talk about the ACI, the Adult Correctional Institutions, right behind me in Cranston, Rhode Island.

So far this year, six incarcerated people have died in that prison. Most recently, a family member contacted DARE, Direct Action for Rights and Equality, and reported that the Rhode Island Department of Corrections [RIDOC] has claimed an incarcerated person committed suicide by shoelace. Family members are not convinced. The man was incarcerated on August 14th and died three days later. Family members said he was going through withdrawal and had bad asthma; they believe he may not have received medical care to address what was happening.

The 2020 census put the incarcerated population at ACI at 2671 people. Just over .2% of the population of this prison has died this year. In response, the United States Department of Justice has done - nothing. Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee has done - nothing. Attorney General Peter Neronha has done - nothing. Leadership at the General Assembly has done - nothing.

According to DARE, an incarcerated person had a heart attack at the ACI in July and was left in his cell for over three hours while the correctional officers watched and even took pictures of him.

All the deaths at the ACI this year occurred under the leadership of Director Wayne Salisbury, who was appointed in January. They include Brian Rodenas, who died by suicide after being subjected to solitary confinement, and Carol Pona, an elderly woman who died of stomach cancer after being held for three months awaiting a 32F probation violation hearing. RIDOC refused to disclose the names of the other three individuals, at least two of whom died by suicide.

Wayne Salisbury was the Director of the Wyatt Detention Center in 2008 when Hiu Lui “Jason” Ng died after months of medical negligence. Ng was detained by ICE in 2007 and began reporting excruciating back pain in 2008. Correctional officers accused him of lying and faking his pain, even though by mid-July he was unable to walk or stand to use a pay phone to call his family. Wyatt officers denied him a wheelchair and ignored his pleas for proper medical attention.

On July 30th, Ng was dragged out of his bed, and carried in shackles into a car, bruising his arms and legs. The guards drove him for two hours to a federal lockup in Hartford, Connecticut where ICE officials pressured him to withdraw all pending appeals of his immigration case and accept deportation. When Ng was finally allowed to see a doctor, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and a broken spine. He died five days later.

During the last legislative session, the head of the prison guards union was accused of threatening a member of the public over his testimony calling for changes to the state’s solitary confinement law.

The year before that this same union president released confidential information and violated the privacy rights of formerly incarcerated people because they testified before the General Assembly in a way he didn’t like.

We don’t have to go to Georgia to find a cruel prison where death, dehumanizing conditions, and torture are the norm.

We can just go to Cranston.