No Mercy for Elderly, Terminal or Nonviolent Offenders in Georgia Prisons
Georgia re-opens, COVID Continues to Claim Lives Behind Bars
On March 26th, a 49-year old man housed in Lee State Prison in Leesburg, Georgia died from COVID-19-related complications. Positive cases and subsequent hospitalizations quickly spread throughout the prison, as access to treatment, and sanitation supplies dwindled in the facility.
Facing mounting criticism from the general public and the criminal justice community, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles (PAP) announced that they had begun reviewing specific cases for clemency release to help decrease the inmate population. Their scope would be limited. PAP’s focus was to be directed at those “currently serving for a non-violent offense(s) who are within 180 days of completing their prison sentence.” Still, this gave hope to tens of thousands of families across Georgia who worry for the safety and health of their loved ones behind bars in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic –their fears, were not unfounded.
By April, another devastating outbreak of COVID-19 occurred. The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) had confirmed 1 positive case among the incarcerated population at Johnson State Prison in Wrightsville, Georgia the morning of April 5th. By the end of the week…
