WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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This week, we spoke with participants in the struggle to close Dekalb County jail in Atlanta, Georgia. They walked us through the launch of the movement there, when prisoners smuggled out photos of horrendous conditions inside, which were posted on social media by family members. Since then, a wide range of people have worked to support the prisoners, by writing letters to them, aiding their families who are also organizing, and attending both confrontational demonstrations and somber vigils. This struggle has connected deeply with people across the Southeast, both due to the courage of the prisoners and their outside supporters, but also in its resonance with the other burning issues of today: conditions inside immigrant detention facilities, the scandals inside Rikers Island jail, and overcrowding nationally in the wake of the opioid crisis.
