GA Prison Strike Update: Coalition’s Open Letter to the Governor Lists Demands from the Department of Corrections

CONCERNED COALITION TO RESPECT PRISONERS’ RIGHTS

concernedcoalitionga@gmail.com

Steering Committee

Edward DuBose, Co-Chair, Georgia State Conference, NAACP

Elaine Brown, Co-Chair, National Alliance for Radical Prison Reform

Ajamu Baraka, U.S. Human Rights Network

Chara Fisher Jackson, ACLU of Georgia

Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, The Ordinary People Society

Richard Muhammad, Nation of Islam

Robert Rooks, NAACP

_______________________________________

January 5, 2010

Via Facsimile and Hand Delivery

The Honorable Sonny Perdue

Governor of Georgia

State Capitol

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Nathan Deal

Governor-Elect of Georgia

State Capitol

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Brian Owens

Commissioner, Georgia Department of Corrections

Atlanta, Georgia

Gentlemen:

Pursuant to our agreement at the meeting of December 17, 2010, between the Department of Corrections and our Coalition, an ad hoc group of hundreds of civic and political organizations around the nation advocating for and acting on behalf of thousands of Georgia prisoners who initiated a mass, non-violent protest in numerous Georgia prisons on December 9^th last to redress their grievances over violations of their human rights by the Department, we hereby urgently request another meeting with the Department with respect to the following:

· Establishment of a timetable for negotiations between the Department and prisoner representatives, including members of the Coalition, to address the prisoners’ specific demands, which we officially reiterate here:

1. A Living Wage For Work

2. Educational Opportunities

3. Decent Health Care

4. An End To Cruel and Unusual Punishments

5. Decent Living Conditions

6. Nutritional Meals

7. Vocational And Self-Improvement Opportunities

8. Access To Families

9. Just Parole Decisions

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