Letters on the Jail

Please read theletter
below this post BB

George Rhynes (229-251-8645) 21 Apr 2004
605 ½ East hill Ave
Valdosta, Georgia 31605

Dear Editor

The Valdosta Daily times (VDT) is our only daily newspaper in Lowndes
County Georgia. On 14 April 2004, Michelle Taylor reported “George
Rhynes questioned why his letter had not been responded to and that no
amount of renovation of the jail will help inmates.”

My actual quote: “The Valdosta Daily Times reported a few days
ago---that the Lowndes County Commissioners should work quickly to renovate
the jail facility. However, no amount of renovation alone, in my opinion
will fix discrepancies inmates are facing today.”

THE FOLLOWING IS MY REASONS FOR MAKING THE ABOVE STATEMENT BEFORE THE
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN I WILL----REPEAT THE
SAME STATEMENT TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, AND FELLOW AMERICANS-----BASED UPON THE FOLLOWING
COMMENTS FROM REAL INMATES SIGNED LETTERS, AND NOTARIZED STATEMENTS SENT TO
ME….
“LOWNDES COUNTY JAIL PROBLEMS”
Information Provided From: [Inmates in the Lowndes County Jail (19
July – Aug 2003). These items were extracted directly from inmates
comments. One should also see Capt. Yeager Report to the County
Commissioners/Valdosta Daily Times on 29 Aug 2003], Georgia problems 1989 – 2003]
Notice: This does no include the many letters received at the Lake
Park Post, a local newspaper and other community organizations available
for review!

1. Inmates are incarcerated for months without seeing their Court
Appointed Attorney. Therefore, they are denied due process.

2. Deputy pulls out a pistol like object and waves all around before
aiming squarely at inmate and telling inmate to “get against the wall.”
All because inmates want to complete a complaint form on a deputy.

3. Inmates kneed in back by deputy and his forearm in the back of his
neck and trying to push inmate (Name withheld but available), face into
the wall – at which time inmate (Name Withheld, but available),
rightfully defended himself against those unwarranted, unprovoked acts by
deputy.

4. Inmates denied the right to file a legitimate complaint form in the
State of Georgia when it is against a deputy.

5. Georgia Inmates have problems getting regular complaint forms
notarized as proof that action was taken deputy said; “I ant’s signing a damn
thing – get it signed yourself.”

6. Inmates must show copy of sixth amendment to educate deputy on
inmate rights. (The deputy tells inmate to “get out of my face,” and pushes
inmate, unprovoked. All as a result of attempting to fill out a
Georgia complaint form.

7. Incidents are swept under the rug rather than being properly
investigated. And no one will listen to inmates concerns within Jail
facility.

8. Inmates must endure cruel and unusual punishment at the jail. There
must be an outside agency to inspect this jail for things to change.

9. Many tours are done through the jail. But the bad areas are not
shown. Only tailored tours are given. The kitchen is not always shown;
therefore, no valid review of the jail is done.

10. Drinking water is unfit to drink and food is terrible.

11. Inmates are required to live in inhumane, unsanitary and abusive
conditions. (Squalid Conditions).

12. Cell doors sticks when opened from control booth --- that creates
problems! Inmates are locked in cell because of malfunction!

13. Deputies play with the fans and taunts and agitate inmates in
cellblocks where there is no ventilation or air conditioning.

14. Inmates must endure leaky water pipes, in dormitory; pools of water
are over the floor. This is a hazard because inmates are required to
wear flip-flops.

15. When inmates try to keep a potential bad situation from getting
worst. Deputies often make things worst by not paying attention to the
needs of inmates—as it was on 23 July 2003!

16. Lowndes County Administrations lie and don’t acknowledge the
handbook they give out to inmates.

17. Food is not nutritional, and inmates have questioned its
cleanliness.

18. Two cells (cell 12 A & B) has no bed frame or nothing in it at all,
besides out of order toilets and the sink does not work at all.

19. If an inmate does something, like cursing a Sgt. or Officer. He
will be booked 9 out of 10. He is going to one of these cells depending
what Sergeant.

20. Inmates are stripped naked left in this conditions for long periods
of time.

21. Jail staff will not provide water as needed and inmates do not get
showers or wash his/her hands face or do any hygiene customs.

22. Inmates are placed in cell (12B) with no mattress or nothing else
for necessities.

23. Inmates are placed in handcuffs and shackled for 7 days and six
nights straight. (Copy of incident on File in Jail says inmates)..

24. The jail has a restraint chair, inmates are not allowed to use the
bathroom, and a chance to stretch as provided by polices in force by
the State of Georgia.

25. Medical staff is very much on the side of the Sheriffs office, and
does not administer the needs of inmates.

26. The Medical Staff lies, hides issues, and don’t document incidents
that happen that could cause legal trouble for the administration.

27. Inmates families are lied to by Jail administration when they call
concerning their love ones welfare.

28. This jail is very unconstitutional and several inmates say that it
is ran in a racist manner.

29. The jail handbook is a fraud; in fact, it is so easy to prove.

30. Inmates needs to be interviewed, and the facility should be
inspected everywhere there is a swinging doors.

31. (Name Withheld but available), was recently fired; (Gender withheld
but available), could be a vital witness in every issue if (Gender
withheld), is willing to do so --- to confirm these horrendous conditions.

32. Since the Jail started toting lasers to Las inmates when out of
control. But that’s not how they are being used and I believe the
situation will get worst.

33. Inmates are denied their rights to have access to the Law Library
even without requests and that’s not happening.

34. Inmates are taxed when they buy stamps and on store items.
(Inmates believe they are exempt from this practice.)

35. PERSONAL REQUEST: Inmates requested that I (George B. Rhynes) call
on the community to sign a petition for the inspectors office and the
U. S. Marshals Office to inspect and investigate the Jail
Administrations.

36. Inmates (Name Withheld but available) was left in the restraints
chain for 18 hours straight on one occasion in the past.

37. HANDBOOK VIOLATIONS: Each inmate may designate up to twelve
immediate family members etc. [This is not being done we are limited to six]

38.Each inmate will participate in an organized and supervised program
of daily cleaning within his housing and common areas. [This is not
being done at all]

39.Inmates in the hold (cell 8) do not ever get to clean his call ---
practically have to beg to receive cleaning materials.

40. Each inmate will be entitled to shower daily and required to shower
three (3) times a week. [This is not happening. Inmates in (cell 8,)
and the (MP) area. Also medical isolated inmates are forced to receive
the minimum (3 showers a week). Even officers try to rush inmates out
of showers.

41.Disciplinary process must be fair and systematic so that no person
staff or inmate may plead ignorance of the rules or bias in the
procedures. Hasty arbitrary decision and/or corporal punishment shall not be
allowed. [This is not the case]

42. Inmates are convicted by one person, where inmates are suppose to
be placed in lock-up then incident is supposed to be investigated and
then a hearing. [This is not being done}

43. ABOVE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT VIOLATIONS: But there are many more!

44. The Medical Staff and Administration: (Name withheld, but
available), LPN/RN is the Head Nurse. She distributes medication in water out
of the capsule before she’s in inmates presence. This violates inmates
rights to confirm exactly what’s in the water and if it’s the correct
medication.

45. (Name withheld but available), (LPN) ignores inmates verbal
complaints. If it is about issues and Sheriff Admin Office say, “they can’t
make medical to nothing.”

46. Some nurses will refuse inmates his/her medicine if the inmates and
nurse has had an altercation and jail Administrators condone the action
and will not stop it.

47. Constitutional Rights and Civil Rights are still being violated as
of 2003.

48. Inmates have exhausted all their avenues, and they seek outside
help from any body that will help them. They believe many people only
procrastinate about providing relief about the ill Administration in the
Lowndes County Jail.

49. Some inmates are willing to take some steps but not nearly, enough
that would be significant to bring enough stress on the jail to change
their ill actions, inhuman, treatment towards inmates.

50. The whole issue of the extreme bad conditions in the jail rests on
the Sheriff because of his lack of concern and interest of the Jail’s
operations.

51. The Sheriff is intentionally accepting fabrications from jail
administrations to hide the facts that there are some serious violations
inside his jail and with its operation in my opinion.

II. SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT OWN ADMISSION: Capt. Yeager from the Sheriffs
Department as reported in the Valdosta, Daily times!

52, We have massive plumbing problems.

53. Water runs non-stop in sections of the jail creating safety
hazards.

54. Toothpaste tubes are stuffed into showerheads in attempt to stop
leaks.

55. Water in cell refuse to discharge any water this is typical.

56. Staff has to pour acid down all of the drains to keep leeches and
other pests from entering the jail especially shower areas.

57. Rusty shower frames, which Capt. Yeager said inmates are using to
make shanks.

58. Heat swelter to over 100 degrees and no air.

59. Many windows no longer opens and oscillating fans only serve to
push heat air around.

60. Cell locks are obsolete larger security pods can be opened with as
little as a bed sheet or an identification card, giving the inmates
undesired freedom of movement.

61. Control boards are also fading that controls operate most of the
doors. The alternative is to give jail personnel individual keeps, which
is a liability risk.

62. Jail held 570 people, but jail staff was forced to cook three meals
in a 1956 kitchen designed to feed 80 prisoners.

63. Capt. Yeager said “A jail our size should have a kitchen four times
this size.”

64. Jail intake area was designed to handle 120 people though they have
500 and there is no way to segregate male and female prisoners at the
intake desk.

65. The Infirmary has a capacity of only 10 prisoners. It has no
negative air flow areas to handle infectious disease cases---it has become a
logistic nightmare.

64.Transporting prisoners to court appearances are so inadequate that
inmates are stacked in visitation areas.

66. Sewer lines are also corroded and the City of Valdosta has put the
Sheriffs Office on notice that they jail will soon need its own lift
station and grinder to keep solid waste out of the city’s treatment
system.

66. Doors jambs are stifling, creating unstable doors, which could
potentially be forced opened.

67. The conditions at the jail also effect the 108 jail employees.

68. Employees should not be exposed to such bad conditions that now
exist in the jail.

CONCLUSION: For more read the legal section on page 6B of the Valdosta
Daily Times dated 5 September 2003. And ask the real question-
 Who is responsible for allow this jail to get into this condition?

Note: Most of the violations are the same ones identified in U. S.
District Court For the Middle District of Georgia Valdosta Division.
Civil Action No. 89-54-VAL, Consent Order And Decree, and Class Action
dated June 6, 1989, and should have been corrected and complied with.
HOWEVER THIS DECREE IS NO LONGER VALID AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

a. The Question to this community should be—who ensured that this order
was complied with? Was it the DA, County Commissioners, Sheriff, or
the concerned citizens! Somebody should be held accountable!
Information compiled from letters received from Inmates & Valdosta Daily times.

No end to this story----only God can and will resolve this nightmare!
I thank God for allowing me to help complete Luke 4:18, of his divine
word. Peace!