Georgia Prison Strike Support March: Call to Action!!

2/3 BUFFALO RALLY IN SUPPORT OF GEORGIA PRISONERS - Black Unity

From: Sis. Karima Amin
Georgia Prison Strike: Call to Action!!
RALLY and MARCH

THURSDAY FEB 3 - 4:30 PM
Meet at the Erie County Holding Center
Delaware Ave at Church St, Buffalo or a short discussion of the Georgia strike and its relevance to Erie County prison issues.

March to Channel 7 News and Channel 2 News in a demand for more adequate coverage on one of the country’s largest prison strikes.

This event is to raise awareness, make a statement of awareness and to keep up the energy of the movement because it is far from over even though the strike has since ceased.

On December 9, 2010, the US saw the beginning of the largest prison strike in its history. Thousands of inmates from more than 6 Georgia prisons collectively refused to come out of their cells to work in a demand for better prison conditions and compensation for work.

As noted by Bruce A. Dixon, “Georgia leads the nation with an astounding one in thirteen of its adult citizens in prisons and jails, or under court and correctional supervision.” Mass incarceration is a trend which Georgia—like most of the US—is intimately familiar with. And it has become immensely profitable. It has been estimated that close to a million inmates are working full time in jails and prisons throughout the United States.

It is in this light that prisoners across Georgia joined together—across often divisive racial lines—in order to make a set of demands: better access to adequate health care, nutritional meals, legal materials and self-development programs, the end to cruel and inhumane punishment, access to families, just parole decisions, and adequate wages for work—wages which are currently often less than a dollar per hour.

On Day 3 of the strike, a prisoner sent around a message urging, "Don't give up now! On Monday, when the doors [to the cells] open, close them. Do Not Go To Work. DO NOT MAKE MONEY FOR THE STATE THAT THEY IN TURN USE TO KEEP US AS SLAVES…"

Despite the fact that the strike consistently remained nonviolent, the Department Of Corrections violently attempted to force the men back to work—claiming it was “lawful” to order prisoners to work without pay, in defiance of the 13th Amendment’s abolition of slavery. There are even recent allegations of guards beating prisoners with hammers.

After 9 days, prisoners ceased the strike in the face of this violence, in order to allow for negotiations over wages and conditions to take place between prison officials and outside community organizations. As noted by those advocating community involvement point out, “The prisoners have done all they can do now. It's up to us to build a movement out here that can make the changes which have to be made.'”
Though this particular strike occurred in Georgia, the issues it addresses are shared throughout prisons nation-wide. New York State prisons in particular are plagued by inhumane living conditions, high prisoner suicide rates, unreasonably long sentences, and lack of adequate nutrition. And, it is the home of one of the most well-known prison rebellions prompted by inhumane living conditions in the history of the US—Attica.

It is crucial that the nation show its support for the inmates demanding humane conditions and wages in Georgia prisons. They have taken the first step, acting as a catalyst for true and effective change in the US prison system. Though the actual strike is over, the work continues. The movement inside and out are still struggling in a new phase to reach their demands. Come out and show your solidarity with the Georgia inmates, and demand justice in US prisons nationwide!

RALLY and MARCH

THURSDAY FEB 3

4:30 PM
Meet at the Erie County Holding Center

Contact breynol3@gmail.com for further information.