Legislators Hear Reports of Georgia Prison Violence

Georgia State Sen. Vincent Fort held a legislative hearing at the Capitol Thursday that drew more than 70 people to talk about an escalating level of trauma and violent deaths in Georgia prisons, according to a press release from the Southern Center for Human Rights, representatives of which also were present.

Speakers from five families spoke about the deaths of loved ones in Georgia prisons, all young men. One died 10 minutes after his arrival, according to the Southern Center release. One died in his cell of blunt force trauma to his head with his cellmate present, but prison officials ruled it a suicide. One was killed as he exited a bus to enter a prison. One was killed in the night by other prisoners who escaped cells with broken locks. The Southern Center’s statement said that 32 prisoners and one officer have been killed by state prisoners since 2010. The level of violence is three times what it was 10 years ago, according to the Southern Center’s statement. Georgia Department of Corrections media and public affairs representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.”We will work to turn the lights on and lift up the voices of the families. We need to move heaven and earth to address this,” State Senator Nan Orrock told the group, according to the release.