“A Sad Statement, about the Value of Human Life, In the Valdosta/Lowndes County Jail”
(July 22, 2009, 1300 Hrs)
RESPONSE TO "Valdosta Daily Times" Letter to the editor by Mr. Robert Kumpel!
This is a reply to Mr. Robert Kumpel “Letter to the editor” published in the Valdosta Daily Times on July 3, 2009 concerning the sad unacceptable and barbaric third world conditions at the Lowndes County Jail.
The writer listed but just eight human rights violations occurring at this facility and these eight are merely minor issues compared to the truly vile inhumane violations that occur daily. There are so many violations that need to be addressed, or in the eyes of the Sheriff’s department and county administrators so many issues to cover up, in this letter I will only address the issues that concern human health and dignity that every human being is entitled no matter the nature of their charge or arrest.
Innocence until Proven Guilty: My answer to Mr. Kumpel is, in theory our American legal system states you are innocent until proven guilty. However in Lowndes County Georgia a person is guilty by simple accusation of another person with no questions being asked of the accused regarding guilt or innocence, the accused is simply guilty until if or when they can find a way to prove themselves innocent. That’s the Lowndes County Justice system in a nutshell.
Bible Belt Syndrome, Turn Tail and Run, Above The Law: Mr. Kumpel forget about garnering any help or support for your friend locally through neighbors citizens or elected official in the Valdosta/Lowndes area as they all fear taking a stand for anything that may go against the grain of their social peers even if it is wrong, for fear they may be cast out of the Bible belt social club. Citizens and elected officials here in Lowndes County apparently have the mob mentality when it comes to do with anything that concerns Lowndes County Sheriffs Department. Everyone turns tail and runs whenever the atrocities that are committed against our citizens are brought out in the open to be exposed. Are our citizens and elected officials afraid of retaliation? Is this turning tail and run mentality because everyone truly knows that this Sheriffs department is above the law and is allowed to get away with anything, they are the LAW therefore above the law. Or is it the fear that if they take a stand for their fellow citizen they may lose their Bible belt membership. Is this really Christian like or is it every man for their self. What we need is persons standing up in volumes united to bring this department into the 21st century in regards to the care and confinement of our fellow human beings.
Valdosta/Lowndes County Jail vs. Guantanamo Bay Cuba: Forget Lemesa prison in Tijuana, how about equating the treatment of our fellow Americans to the way we have seen humans treated at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. In true fact those prisoners may have better treatment, more rights and better living conditions than those at Lowndes County Jail. Because they face national attention and scrutiny. There are many human rights violations that occur daily at Lowndes County Jail, but here today I will only discuss those that are most life threatening and lack the basics human rights that should be allotted to every woman and man by our constitution and by the fact that we claim to be a civilized society.
Medical Care, Twenty Seven Deaths and More: The medical care or lack of medical care provided at this facility can only be described as inhumane and barbaric. There are persons within this facility that suffer from chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, seizure disorders, asthma, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and severe psychiatric illnesses that are simply ignored and no care provided or if it is, it is to little too late. The statistics show that mentally ill persons have a higher rate of conflicts with the legal system, and when they are arrested and jailed then their medications are withheld this only intensifies their situation and illness, resulting in negative outcomes for all persons and systems involved.
When an inmate complains of being ill the process is complete a sick form, and if it is Friday you may be seen Monday, that is your sick form is not filed in the trash can. Which I personally believe happens frequently, especially if you as the inmate has gotten or the caretakers wrong side. When you are finally seen it is simply blood pressure pulse and temperature, as well as a five dollar charge and nothing more. Physician prescribed medications mean absolutely nothing to the caretakers of this instruction. There are estimates out there in the community that up to twenty seven deaths have occurred within the walls of Lowndes County Jail due to lack of adequate and timely medical care in the past several years, I would argue to say this number is much greater.
South Georgia Medical Center, Outright Neglect, Lack of Medical Assessment, and leave VIA Morgue:
I have personally seen the ravages of lack of care and the human brutality first hand come through the emergency room doors of South Georgia Medical Center, only to exit through the back doors via the morgue. I feel quite sure these numbers have not been included in this head count. Some of these Emergency room visits were the result of stroke (not given blood pressure medications), status elipiticus (not given seizure medications), hyper/hypoglycemia comas (diabetes not monitored), status asthamaticus (asthma complaints disregarded).
Then there the pure outright neglect and lack of medical assessment and care for those that suffered from such medical emergencies as ruptured appendix’s, bowel obstructions, as well as unexplained physical injuries allegedly inflicted by other inmates. What does the other inmate look like? No injuries to them? It is my opinion that many of the officers that have been placed as caretakers of these inmates love their tazer guns, have very short fuses and are annoyed easily. I believe they get off on inflicting inhumanities on those that are at their mercies and are defenseless and have no voice that is heard or listened to.
Spontaneous Miscarriages Flushed Down The Toilet or Washed Down The Shower Drain: One type of patient you will never see pass the doors of the Emergency room are spontaneous miscarriages, these are simply flushed down the toilet or washed down the shower drain and the girl is given a pile of sanitary napkins and sent back to her cell with no follow-up for GYN care. This is humane care in America? Or is this OK because this is Lowndes County, and different rules apply here?
Human Indignities, the Hole, Birthday Suit, the Rats and Roaches: Then there are the human indignities. Let’s start with the hole! This is a hole in the ground that is considered an acceptable area to house inmates who have misbehaved. They are threatened with routinely along with the threat of being tased. This hole of a cell is said to have standing rank water in the bottom, rats as big as cats, no bed, no lighting, and no heat in the winter, which is concerning due to the fact that when an inmate is placed in this hole their clothing is removed, so they are nude. There is no bed in this hole and no blankets are allowed either, just you your birthday suit the rats and roaches. The same situation applies for solitary confinement, meaning no clothing or bedding, no basic human dignity. There are no fans for movement of air in the summer. Lowndes County Jail is built of cinder block like a brick oven. Mr. Kumpel is right no air conditioning for any inmates.
Inmates Do Not Deserve Air Conditioning or Heat, And Inmates Are Not Prisoners Yet: Some may say “inmates don’t deserve air conditioning or heat” but should they be held in a brick oven in the summer and cells cold enough to hang meat in the winter. With too few windows to allow air circulation and those that are there, are in disrepair either cannot be opened adequately in the summer or closed in the winter. This is inhumane when the occupants cannot provide warmth for themselves from the cold or cannot provide themselves a way of cooling off in these dog days of summer. Some may say prisoners do not deserve any better, but remember these are not prisoners yet, they have not stood trial or been found guilty in a court of law. This is JAIL. And believe you me this ain’t Andy Griffith’s jail. This is where you, you good law abiding citizen of Lowndes County could end up spending some R and R if you are unjustly accused of a crime.
Snatch A Person Off The Streets, Out Of Their Home like the Russian Police: Because Lowndes County Sheriffs Department asks no questions of the accused, they are often not even read their Miranda rights nor told the reason for the arrest and often are not allowed a phone call for days. The Valdosta/Lowndes County police will snatch a person off the streets or out of their home like the Russian police. This could be you for unpaid traffic tickets, a family dispute gotten out of hand; this I have learned doesn’t have to be physical nor entirely factual, only claimed by family members that have axes to grind. And you the accused become a guest of Lowndes County Sheriffs department in all its glorious hospitality.
Trumped Up Charges And Allegations: The Sheriffs Department is the law so trumped up charges and allegations are frequent occurrences and regarded as the truth. When a person complains of the conditions or treatment within these walls they are quickly and abruptly informed this is jail, not prison. I am very curious as to the meaning of this statement. Does it mean keep complaining and we will make sure you go onto prison or does it mean you are within a system that knows they have gotten away with so many human indignities that they know they will never have to answer to anyone here in this proverbial southern justice system.
Stop the Cover Up Of the Inhumane Conditions and Deaths: I for one think it is far past time for them to answer to some outside agencies. Let’s stop helping them cover up these deaths and human indignities. I challenge the citizens and leaders of Valdosta/ Lowndes County to stand up and lose your mob mentality and take a stand. Provide a helping hand and voice to those in this community that are underserved and unheard. One can never tell in this crazy unpredictable world and its twists and turns you may find yourself or a loved one, child, parent, sister or brother within the walls of Lowndes County Jail. Once within these walls you are at the complete and total mercy or lack thereof, of the caretakers of Lowndes County Jail.
My Personal Challenge Watch “A Chorus Of Fear:” I challenge anyone who reads this article to Google the internet for “deaths in Lowndes County Jail” and view the video produced by a group of professors and students at Valdosta State University titled Willie J. Williams “A Chorus of Fear” to get a glimpse of the atrocities that occur daily at this jailhouse or torture chamber of sorts. And then please read the decree handed down by Judge Lawson that mandated changes and improvements within the wall of Lowndes County Jail. Was this judgment enforced? Who was responsible to see to it that it was enforced?
Squalor Conditions, the Honorable Judge Hugh Lawson, and the Georgia Board of Nursing: Based on the “squalor conditions” within these walls it is quite evident that “Judge Lawson’s mandates” were not followed. If you are at all appalled or moved by this video I challenge you to stand up and help stop these violations of human rights occurring right under our noses on a daily basis. Please do not choose to keep a blind eye to these activities. Remember it could happen to you. Please join in this crusade. It has already started; there are weekly meetings to discuss ways in which to address these human rights violations, the entire nursing staff has been reported to the “Georgia Board of Nursing” by individual name for lack of providing medical care in due time and process resulting in negative outcomes including deaths in our fellow citizens.
Identifying the Director of Medical Care, Maslow’s Hierarchy: As soon as the “Director of Medical Care” is identified that person will be reported to the American Medical Association. Mr. Kumpel and any others that care to join us please do. We need volumes of strong voices to address the many issues that abound within the wall of Lowndes County Sheriffs Department and Jail. I believe the place to start is with basic needs such as medical care and basic human rights. What good is a book if you’ve had a stroke and are now vegative because lack of medical care, or what good is a book if you have passed out from heat exhaustion due to extreme summer temperatures in a brick oven. Let’s address basic needs first, and then follow “Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs” (Physiological needs, safety needs, needs of love and belongingness, needs for esteem, needs of self actualization) until all are addressed in a systematic fashion.
The list is endless of the reforms that are needed within this facility, but basic needs and rights are the place to start. We truly need some outside help and national attention placed on this situation, without it the inhumanity to man and the death toll will only raise. It is apparent that our local news media has failed to keep the citizens of Valdosta/Lowndes County properly informed on these inhumane conditions. The news media should be compelled to address and bring into the public arena when our fellow citizens are stripped of the basic human rights no matter their charges. We are all people of God!
Willie James Williams Death reports and civil rights work…
http://www.geocities.com/altpptla/pTribunal/index.html
also: Google: "A Chorus of Fear Video" and "Deaths in Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail" or "Death of Willie James Williams"
Melanie Crowder
A Sister of Humanity
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment