Monday, July 20, 2009

2009--Valdosta- Lowndes County Jail "Letter to the Editor on Inhumane Conditions" Valdosta Daily Times (July 3, 2009)

TO: Letter to the editor, all concerned citizens of Valdosta, Lowndes County and beyond

On July 3, 2009 the Valdosta Daily Times published a letter to the editor “A sad statement about the value of human life.” The writer highlighted the ill conditions in the Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail and the suffering of his friend---a non-violent criminal inmate who are denied the following.

(1) No adequate reading materials
(2) No jail library.
(3) No Jail education program.
(4) No access to letters, newspapers or the Internet.
(5) No photo’s allowed.
(6) No air conditioning and temperatures are over 100 degrees in the summer. With inmates passing out from dehydration is a common occurrence.
(7) No humane living space. Inmates are extremely overcrowded.
(8) Inmates are over charged for over the counter medicine (a roll of Tums) was said to cost $6.00. The letter indicated that it seems that someone is getting kickbacks.

This is nothing new since the Honorable Judge Hugh Lawson of the United States Courts of the Middle District of Georgia Valdosta Division identified 105 violations in June 1997 in the Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail, and that his ordered be corrected within two years in Civil Action 1989-54-VAL, wherein Judge Lawson ruled that inmates Constitutional Rights had been consistently violated and that it had to stop.

However after repeated requests to city, county, and other elected officials in Valdosta-Lowndes County civil rights organizations and others have been unsuccessful in finding out who if anyone or agency ever corrected or complied with Judge Lawson Court Order. In fact, I don’t believe even the good judge himself followed up to insure local governments ever complied with the order.

This lawsuit was filed in March 1989 in U. S. District Courts of the Middle District of Georgia Valdosta Division. But our local television, newspapers, and radio stations along with politicians apparently kept this court order the best kept secret in Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia.

So is this July 3, 2009 Letter to the Editor too little too late? Moreover the letter FAILED to mention the bad medical facility, no real complaint system except on paper and the names of some nineteen to twenty-seven jail deaths that have occurred in the jail since 1994. So why have both bodies of local government ignored these ill living conditions for several decades instead of trying to stop these inhumane conditions and deaths.

It is imperative that citizen watch the video “A Chorus of Fear” posted on the Internet and then read Judge Lawson Court Order and Consent Decree #1989-54-VAL-----now expired.

So where have our local television, and radio stations been? And why have our elected officials, local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies, District Attorney (DA), Valdosta Mayor, City Council, Lowndes County Board of Commissioners and Chairman along with other Georgia State Agencies failed to request some type of investigation to put a stop to this trend?

Apparently our local media will gladly investigate and report on a cat or dog trapped in a tree in Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia but ignore human beings awaiting to prove their guilt or innocence. Moreover does citizens know how much money has already been paid out in lawsuits to inmates and their families? It may be a good idea for local leaders to go undercover and sit in jail for twenty-four hours and critique how citizens are treated in the facility.

The lack of adequate news coverage has left citizens deaf, dumb, and blind to the times and unable to make intelligent decision based on facts. Therefore we the people must keep our elected officials in check by using the power of the Ballot Box to remind them that they serve us, and that we care about ALL citizens and not just a SELECT few.

Today (July 17, 2009 at 3:45 pm) a former inmate from the Valdosta-Lowndes County Jail gave me a written and taped testimonial about the ill conditions in the jail. And that a local television station WCTV Channel 6, was “NOT INTERESTED” in taking his story about the inhumane living conditions he witnessed while in the jail.

So what good is our local television, newspapers and radio stations if they seemingly intentionally keep citizens deaf, dumb, and blind to news worthy events? How Sad in 2009? God bless America and everybody else.



GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Veteran
President of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Branch (NAACP)
Concerned citizen and brother of humanity

LINKS OF INFORMATION AND VIDEO:

Video “A Chorus of Fear” about Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia and the United States Justice Department (2001) you decide…Galatians 6:7
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3930808120854021155

United States Justice Department, is it really just?
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2001/October/537crt.htm

Where is American “FREE PRESS” in 2009?
http://community.freespeech.org/60_min_48_hours_dateline_night_line_nbc_abc_fox_etc_where_are_you_jail_deaths_in_lowndes_county_jail_a_chorus_of_fear_0

Deaths, and Funeral of a jailed inmate. Just maybe if it this was in USSR, IRAQ, KOREA, or ISRAEL just maybe someone would care? How Sad?
http://jaildeaths.blogspot.com/

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