Photo Courtesy of AP
A new investigative report from the Associated Press exposes white prison guards as yet another example of power being abused and a lack of accountability in our so-called justice system.
In June, three Florida prison guards who boasted being white supremacists beat, pepper-sprayed and used a stun gun on an inmate who screamed, “I can’t breathe!” according to a fellow inmate who reported it to the state.
The next day, a report filed with the Florida Department of Corrections’ Office of Inspector General noted the same officers at Jackson Correctional Institution were abusing another inmate.
These two incidents were documented by inmate Jamaal Reynolds, who included identifiable information and the guards’ names. However, these claims were not investigated by the Inspector General.
According to the Associated Press, the state has rarely investigated any of the allegations.
“If you notice, these two incidents were people of color. They (the guards) let it be known they are white supremacist,” Reynolds wrote. “The Black officers and white officers don’t even mingle with each other. Every day they create a hostile environment trying to provoke us so they can have a reason to put their hands on us.”
According to former prison inspectors and current and former officers, corrections officials regularly receive reports about guards’ membership in the Ku Klux Klan and criminal gangs.
Related Story: White Supremacists Chased Away From Philadelphia’s City Hall
“I’ve visited more than 50 (prison) facilities and have seen that this is a pervasive problem that is not going away,” said Democratic Florida state Rep. Dianne Hart. “It’s partly due to our political climate. But, those who work in our prisons don’t seem to fear people knowing that they’re white supremacists.”
Mark Caruso, a former sergeant with Florida corrections who was twice fired and reinstated after blowing the whistle on fellow officers, described the department as a “good old boy” network.
“This is a pattern all over the country,” said Paul Wright, a former inmate who co-founded the prisoner-rights publication Prison Legal News. Wright helped expose Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members working as correctional officers across the country.
“There’s an institutional acceptance of this type of racism,” Wright said. “What’s striking about this is that so many of them keep their jobs.”
Systemic issues like white supremacists within the prison system are just one example of how racism permeates the legal system. With officers like Caruso and political activist support, the prison system should be flushed and disposed of its trash.