‘This is crazy. Somebody dead.’ Inmate body underscores staffing woes in Georgia prison system

WAYCROSS, Ga. – Mobile phone video shot inside Ware State Jail in Waycross, Georgia offers a stark instance of how few workers are literally on the job as of late.

The video confirmed a useless prisoner slumped over a cell block railing, whereas others complain he’s been there for hours as a result of no officer is on obligation of their part of the jail.

“No officer has got here again on this constructing,” stated the nameless inmate who narrates the video. “Ain’t no person in over three hours. We have now an inmate right here that’s useless …. hanging proper right here for the final two hours at the least. Two and a half hours. Useless.”

The cellphone video begins by documenting the time and date, then ultimately exhibits a useless inmate slumped over a second flooring railing. No foul play is suspected in keeping with a jail spokesperson.

The video begins with a shot of the narrator’s watch displaying the time of 8:17 a.m. on July 3, 2021.

The video additionally exhibits no officer behind the glass of the management middle for the cellblock.

The useless man is 54-year-old John Ekers, convicted in 1991 for homicide in Cobb County. He was sentenced to life with the opportunity of parole. No foul play is suspected. A Division of Corrections spokesperson stated workers arrived 18 minutes after the video was recorded.

One other prisoner within the cellblock stated workers solely confirmed up for the usual morning rely, ensuring all inmates had been there. He stated there was no solution to alert an officer earlier than that.

A GDC spokesperson stated “This can be very essential to make sure any untimely judgments of the main points are reserved till the information are absolutely investigated and confirmed, and our Workplace of Skilled Requirements is at present investigating the incident to find out specifics.” 

Christina Remlin is head of litigation for the Southern Middle for Human Rights, a daily critic of how the state jail system is run.

“I can’t think about a extra dramatic illustration of the full disaster of violence and chaos within our jail system,” stated Christina Remlin of the Southern Middle for Human Rights in Atlanta.

Georgia’s jail system is already beneath federal investigation. The Justice Division cited lawsuits filed by the Southern Middle for Human Rights as a foundation for its probe.

These lawsuits accused the state of violated the civil rights of prisoners, placing their lives at risk typically due to low staffing.

“Many different males have died of unknown causes when no or few officers had been current within the dormitory,” reads one allegation within the lawsuit.

“You’ve many services throughout the state operating staffing emptiness charges which are near 70 %,” Remlin stated. “So you actually solely have one officer in a state of affairs the place you want three.”

In line with data collected by the Southern Middle for Human Rights, Ware had a 68 % job emptiness charge in January.

DOJ investigators visited Ware State Jail within the days main as much as Ekers’ dying. (GDC picture)

The DOJ investigators truly paid a go to to Ware final month, days earlier than Ekers’ physique can be left hanging over a railing for hours.

The Division of Corrections turned down a request from the FOX 5 I-Workforce to interview Commissioner Timothy Ward.

Georgia Division of Corrections Commissioner Timothy Ward. (GDC picture)

In a written assertion, a spokesperson stated “we stay dedicated to making sure the security of each workers and offenders, and we frequently consider any want for enchancment in our processes as they relate to our non-negotiable mission of the secure and safe operations of our services and the security of the general public.”

However some aren’t so positive.

“I feel the Division of Corrections is making an attempt to control the free world saying that it’s not an issue,” stated Andrew Richardson, a former state prisoner launched in November.

Andrew Richardson blames low staffing on not getting him fast medical care after a jail yard stabbing. 

Earlier than he completed his sentence on drug expenses at Rogers State Jail, the 43-year-old Madison resident stated he was stabbed by a fellow inmate a number of instances.

“I used to be bleeding out like 3 ways just like the cartoon, the water popping out of the cartoon,” he demonstrated. “Simply bleeding, bleeding, bleeding after which handed out. There wasn’t an officer 100 foot away from me. No assist.”

He stated the dearth of guards made life extra harmful than when he first went to jail almost 20 years in the past. And for anybody who doesn’t care about what occurs to inmates, if a federal investigation determines civil rights violations, Georgia taxpayers may very well be on the hook for some huge cash.

“I accepted my punishment,” stated Richardson. “I took it. Now it’s time for the Division of Corrections to take their wrongdoing and to repair this.”

GDC recruiters search candidates throughout the state, even throughout vacation parades. (GDC picture)

They appear to be making an attempt. Recruiters fan out throughout the state almost each week. Entry stage pay was raised to $18.28 an hour. However on this economic system, job seekers can seemingly discover comparable pay with out the office risks.

“The job is a really, very traumatizing one, and on this context proper now there’s plenty of chaos, plenty of violence,” stated Remlin. “It’s comprehensible why individuals don’t wish to work there.”

Underscoring the staffing points, the FOX 5 I-Workforce managed to interview one of many inmates who was there when Ekers physique was left hanging, apparently for hours.

The inmate used a smuggled cellphone to speak to us by means of Google Duo straight from his bunk.

“That was very traumatic,” he instructed us, remembering the morning Ekers’ physique was found by his fellow prisoners. “Those who must get the right consideration are dying that don’t should be dying. If that they had the right staffing, individuals will get the right consideration they want.”