There is no justice in Georgia

There is no justice in Georgia

July 11, 20121Macon State Prison is a maximum security prison in Oglethorpe, Ga.

I am an inmate at Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia. This is a Level 5 prison and as hard as any in the penal system. Prior to my being moved to Macon State, I spent 17 months at Hancock State Prison but through a stroke of luck moved before the rebellion of November 2011.

I had the pleasure to read an article published in our newspaper, “Georgia: Eyewitness report on isolation, prison rebellion and work strike.” This article, I believe, was obtained from a letter written to you from Hancock by an inmate like myself. It hit so close to home, so to speak, that it was uncanny.

Yes, Hancock is all that my brother inmate described and more, much, much more. The entire penal system of Georgia is a national disgrace and a shambles. Did you know that in Georgia one in every 13 of her citizens is in prison and of the ones who are not, one in six is in law enforcement! Georgia has the largest number of persons doing “life” and most have been locked up for the past 20 years. All these men and women will or are starting to grow old at the same time, with little or no medical support.

Speaking of medical, only in Georgia do inmates have to pay through the nose to receive medical help. A visit to the M.D. or P.A. will cost you $5 with an additional $5 for meds. If you have no money – and many inmates have none or very little – the charge will be placed on your account. Say you visit medical two times a month, total cost $20. At the start of a new month your family sends you $20. How much do you receive? The answer is ZERO. The state takes it all.

In Georgia one in every 13 of her citizens is in prison and of the ones who are not, one in six is in law enforcement! Georgia has the largest number of persons doing “life” and most have been locked up for the past 20 years.

Georgia does more to squeeze its inmates and their families than any other state. Forty cents of each dollar spent at the inmate store is to be set aside to provide recreation items for inmates – TV sets, basketballs, flag football equipment, board games and playing cards. Do inmates see any of this again? The answer is very, very little. Most of the money is used to throw barbeques for the guards.

There is so much more. The greed and corruption is rampant, not only in the prison system but in other cases. The justice system of Georgia is the laughing stock of the other 49 states, territories and the District of Columbia. There is no justice in Georgia. Most court cases never go to trial and the average sentence in the state for even the most minor offense is 20 years.

There is no justice in Georgia. Most court cases never go to trial and the average sentence in the state for even the most minor offense is 20 years.

Please do not use my name or GDC number; it could and would be hazardous to my ongoing health. If the GDC got my name or number, I would most likely be taken from my dorm, beaten and possibly killed. The GDC is famous for making inmates go away.

Please keep up the outstanding work.