Cruel and Unusual Punishment

The following was sent in to the Partisan by the "Justice Enforcement League" regarding our article on the Richmond City Jail protest and the prisoner issue.

The Constitution is the basis of the law and the reason the U.S. government exists. Government officials including Richmond city sheriff C.T. Woody swear an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution however they seem not to understand the most straightforward elements of our founding document. Amendment VIII of U.S. Constitution states; "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment." The municipal affiliate of the prison industrial complex which includes not only the Sheriff's Office but also the Richmond Police Department and the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney seems to conduct itself exclusively in violation of this important part of the Constitution.

There are many cases of people being held in the Richmond City Jail because of their inability to pay fines imposed. In some cases people are imprisoned for not paying fines for traffic violations such as driving on a suspended license. The jail is also full of victims in the so called war on drugs which in reality is nothing more than a war on the Constitution and the American people. This brings us to the deadly conditions for the people inside the Richmond City Jail, a place where many have died prematurely due to their treatment. Many held in the jail have died as a result of beatings, organ failure as a result of heat exposure (the temperatures reach as high as 120 degrees) and withholding necessary medical treatment. Most who suffer the brutal, unconstitutional treatment at the Richmond City Jail do not die from their inhumane treatment, however, they suffer from the physical and emotional scars caused from beatings, rapes, and diseases that spread like wildfire.

Government officials have not addressed the deaths they are responsible for, nor have they shown any evidence the conditions have improved. The reply given by those responsible for the deaths at jail have been dubious. Commonwealth Attorney Mike Herring and Sheriff C.T. Woody addressed council and the Mayor on Monday night and gave lip service to reducing the jail's population of inmates. No mention of the deaths, and no mention of current conditions. I have stated to several media outlets, including NBC 12 on Friday, July 9th that the deaths at the jail were a result of violations of the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The sheriff's response to this came four days later in a statement to Channel 12 News; he said he is opposed to overcrowding in the facility. Well, as you can see, those criminally responsible have their empty talking point.

The sad fact is that the Richmond city government's unconstitutional nature mirrors all the local, state, and federal institutions that get their authority from the current U.S. government. We the people must form a government based on serving the people, honoring the truth, and upholding the Constitution. We need a revolution of ideas and actions against the criminal status quo that has created the biggest prison population in the world. We must restore the U.S. Constitution and its basis the Great Law of Peace. I announced my intention to be the next Sheriff of the city of Richmond on May 8, 2010 - for the purpose of enforcing the Constitution and equal protection under the law regardless of personal income, race, gender, or sexual orientation. There must be accountability for the deaths caused by cruel and unusual punishment at the jail.

Chris Dorsey, Justice Enforcement League