The death of India Cummings—she suffered a mental breakdown, was seen smearing food on herself+lying in a pool of her own urine—brought national attention to Erie County, NY jails. But the deaths haven't stopped: on average, 1 person dies every 6 months. https://t.co/oH0JtNzxqx
— Ethan Brown (@ethanbrown72) January 16, 2020
Yet another person has died in Parchman prison this morning. According to Mississippi DOC, Thomas Lee died of "apparent suicide."
10 people have died in Mississippi prisons, 8 in Parchman, in the last 3 weeks.
4 of the deaths were in the last 5 days.https://t.co/WS0kmFQVgj
— Rebecca Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) January 23, 2020
The Mississippi Governor who created Parchman prison said he made it to run as an “efficient slave plantation.” The most in-depth account of its conditions is a book named “Worse than Slavery.” It was designed to exacerbate black enslavement, as we’re seeing with each news story. https://t.co/mrKL5XMgWU
— Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) January 25, 2020
The conditions in Parchman are dangerous and inhumane, and we are seeing the deadly consequences. As we fight to end mass incarceration, our government needs to meet basic human rights standards for the people under its care. #MSPrisonReformNow https://t.co/vleQMhL5yL
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 23, 2020
We often talk about the fact that the death penalty is racist, arbitrary, and error-prone. It has an emotional and psychological toll on the people forced to carry it out — prison guards, wardens, and witnesses. https://t.co/TuUXn5D8NS
— ACLU (@ACLU) January 9, 2020
Why does the U.S. have the highest incarceration rate in the world?
Because we criminalize poverty.
Because we criminalize homelessness.
Because we criminalize addiction.Because we make recidivism easy.
Because we make finding employment hard.Let's imagine something better.
— Mckayla Wilkes for Congress (@MeetMckayla) January 29, 2020