For those of you who have been following the strike by inmates in Georgia, it is perhaps late in the day to report that the strike is over. It is still unclear why the strike came to an end. No promises or concessions were exacted from Georgia prison authorities by the inmates consistent with their initial demands, at least none that have been reported by news outlets. And the Georgia Department of Corrections has been mostly mum on the entire event.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that while the strike has now ended, there is a likelihood that it will start up again if conditions in the prisons do not change. This came from an inmate named Mike who is an unofficial spokesperson for the inmate-strikers. He apparently also warned that the next strike would be a violent one should it become a reality. Yet whether “Mike” actually speaks for any of the striking prisoners is an open question. Among the statements he made to the AJC was that the reason why the prisoners chose December in which to carry out their strike is because it would be colder at that time and therefore keep tempers of the prisoners from flaring. An unusual and almost movie-like sentiment to say the least.
It appears as if the prisoners involving in the now-defunct strike plan on filing a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the conditions of their incarceration. For those on the outside who might be assisting in this effort, I point you to the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual, published by Columbia University’s Human Rights Law Review. I have found this publication to be thorough and insightful. Best of all, it can be accessed for free by clicking here.
I would encourage anyone who has any specific questions about filing a prisoner right’s lawsuit to email me directly or post your question in the comments below. Also, I would encourage those who know of anyone who has been involved in the strike, either inside or outside the prison cells, to share your story with others in the comments section below.
Invisible Man 