and juvenile facilities” are joining the movement to
“demand the end to prison slavery.”
With these strikes, the IWOC explained, these
prisoners are not only demanding changes to be
implemented. They also claim they are “[ending
prison slavery] ourselves by ceasing to be slaves.”
In an interview with Mother Jones, Prison Legal
News editor Paul Wright explained that “[t]ypically
prisoners are required to work, and if they refuse to
work, they can be punished by having their sentences
lengthened and being placed in solitary confinement.”
When the strike launched, FAM drafted a list of
demands that partially addresses this issue.
The list calls for the reduction of the state prison
population, the release of inmates who are mentally
ill and who require appropriate care, the establishment of an “Education, Rehabilitation and
Re-Entry Preparedness” program, the enforcement
of minimum wage laws so prisoners who choose to
work are compensated, and the restoration of
voting rights.
The DOJ investigation into Alabama prisons is
being conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act but officials have not
confirmed whether the strike prompted the probe.
Nevertheless, FAM’s Pastor Kenneth Glasgow told
Buzzfeed the strikes have played an important role:
“I do believe the prison strike that was initiated
led and organized by those on the inside of
Holman prison is the reason for the DOJ launching
the investigation. And I think when they saw that
even the officers admitted that the administration
was allowing a hostile environment to be created,
that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
According to the DOJ, many of the department’s
past investigations into similar state prison issues
resulted in “important reforms.” Only time will tell
which reforms, if any, will help to address one of
the biggest issues with the U.S. prison system: the
drug war.
TheSovereignVoice.Org
end of article