Inmates Complaints

[Oscar Knight]

Inmates Complain of Treatment at Clayton County Jail

www.firstcoastnews.com/news/georgia/news-article.aspx?storyid=48181

[Oscar Knight]

...Just because a person is charged or accused of a crime, that don't mean they are guilty, until after they are found guilty in a court of law.

...Punishing those before, they see the light of a court room is against our Constitutional Rights.

Constitutional Rights of Inmates

www.ehow.com/about_5399428_constitutional-rights-inmates.html

Inmates of American prisons do not have the full constitutional civil rights of an ordinary citizen, but they do receive some protection under the Constitution. Among these rights are the right to a punishment that is not cruel and unusual, due process, the right of access to parole and the right not to be discriminated against.

Humane Conditions

The 8th amendment of the Constitution protects inmates of American prisons from cruel and unusual punishment, giving prisoners the right to demand humane conditions. This means that prisoners must be allowed access to toilets, fed regularly and be housed in facilities that are not infested with disease and pests among other things. This same amendment protects prisoners from being abused either physically or sexually.

Pretrial

Inmates who have not yet been given a chance to prove their innocence are given special protection. The 8th amendment requires that inmates awaiting trial not be required to pay excessive bail. In addition to this, inmates not yet convicted of a crime cannot be treated as though they are guilty of the crime of which they are being accused, and as with all inmates, prisoners awaiting trial must be housed in facilities with humane conditions.

Due Process

The 5th and 14th amendments of the Constitution guarantee prisoners the right of due process of law. This means that inmates awaiting trial must be given a relatively speedy trial, an unbiased trial, the right to be represented by an attorney despite financial constraints and the right to present evidence, call witnesses and cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses. The right of due process also applies to prisoners already convicted of crimes when they file administrative appeals.

Parole

All prisoners, except those given a life sentence without the possibility of parole, have the right of access to the parole process. Parole is the process by which prisoners are released from incarceration conditionally, and then monitored by a parole officer. Paroled inmates must comply with the conditions of their parole or risk being sent back to prison. Inmates are selected for this process by the parole board in their jurisdiction.

Equal Protection

The 14th amendment of the Constitution has a clause that grants prisoners the right to equal protection. This means that prisoners cannot be treated differently by corrections officers or other prison staff on the basis of race, gender or religion. Additionally, the Americans With Disabilities Act provides further protection of the rights of prisoners with disabilities.


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