Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
The jailers in Franklin County were also accused of using the guns on naked inmates and to punish them for violating the rules. They would put the guns in "drive stun" mode in order to cause as much pain as possible.
"In case after case, deputies tase people, often in the drive stun mode to cause pain, when the person was greatly outnumbered by a team of deputies who were easily able to physically overpower and control the individual," according to the complaint.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of two current and two former inmates. The Justice Department agreed to join in on behalf of the plaintiffs. The county has attempted to argue that one of the inmates, Robert Shreve, was being combative with officers as they tried to apprehend him. But the group behind the lawsuit is claiming that the stun guns have been used to "to inflict pain, fear, corporal punishment and humiliation" on inmates who refuse to follow instructions.
The inhumane treatment of inmates in our nation's prisons and jails is a very serious problem. For some reason, we decided long ago that being accused of a crime means that you are then devoid of any human rights or standard American liberties. As a result, inmates are often abused either by prison guards or other inmates, and no one does a thing about it.
Last month, we held a rally here in Syracuse, New York at the local jail house. Two inmates had died while in officer custody during the past year, and reliable explanations were not forthcoming. It appeared that rather than doing what was right for the people of the city, jailers and their bosses were more concerned with protecting their own jobs.
This is a problem which exists throughout the country. It is also a problem that disproportionately affects African Americans, who are most impacted by mass incarceration in our nation's prisons. It's one thing for us to ensure that the guilty are punished. But prisons and jails should be places which provide opportunities for these individuals to become more productive members of society, not to simply be treated like animals. Also, we must be extremely careful about living in a society where being labeled a criminal then gives others the right to steal your civil rights. That would be a very slippery political slope.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.