蜜桃传媒

MONTGOMERY, Ala. 鈥� Sylvester Hartley, a named plaintiff in the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 (蜜桃传媒) longstanding Braggs v. Dunn lawsuit challenging the inadequate health care provided by the Alabama Department of Corrections, died this month after testing positive for COVID-19 while incarcerated.

In 2014, the 蜜桃传媒 sued the Alabama Department of Corrections for systemically putting the health and lives of incarcerated people at risk by ignoring their medical and mental health needs and discriminating against those with disabilities. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson in 2017 declared the mental health care system in Alabama prisons to be 鈥渉orrendously inadequate鈥� 鈥� an unconstitutional failure that has resulted in a 鈥渟kyrocketing suicide rate鈥� among those who are incarcerated.聽

Mr. Hartley was one of 40 named plaintiffs representing the plaintiff class, which includes every person incarcerated in Alabama prisons with serious mental health and medical needs. Mr. Hartley joined the case to advocate on behalf of himself and others like him who were medicated against their will through threats and coercion. The 蜜桃传媒 and its co-counsel, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, Baker Donelson and the Dagney Johnson Law Group, continue to litigate the case to remedy the constitutional violations.聽

The following statement is by Ebony Howard, senior supervising attorney for 蜜桃传媒:

鈥淲e mourn the death of Mr. Hartley, who was an advocate for the rights and dignity of people in Alabama prisons, particularly those with serious mental health and medical issues. To be clear, Mr. Hartley鈥檚 death 鈥� apparently from complications related to COVID-19 鈥� is at the hands of the state, which has the ability but has utterly failed in its responsibility to protect people in its prisons. Whether that harm is COVID-19, unconscionable levels of violence, or ongoing deaths by suicide, it is violence actively perpetrated by the state of Alabama.

鈥淚t is also, without a doubt, racial violence.

鈥淎labama鈥檚 prison system, which disproportionately incarcerates Black people, is a manifestation of Alabama鈥檚 history of state-sponsored white supremacy. COVID-19, like so many harms affecting Americans, has disproportionately afflicted Black and brown communities, including those in prison, jail, and detention. The harm is compounded for certain Black people 鈥� like Mr. Hartley 鈥� who are aging and have underlying medical issues. Advocates have continuously to the large number of people in prison who are especially vulnerable to this pandemic.聽

鈥淲e condemn the inaction of the Alabama Department of Corrections, the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, and Governor Kay Ivey鈥檚 administration, all of whom could have taken steps to mitigate this crisis by releasing people from Alabama鈥檚 barbaric prisons.

聽鈥淚n this moment of national reckoning, we again declare that Black lives 鈥� including incarcerated Black lives 鈥� matter. Mr. Hartley鈥檚 life matters. Please join us in grieving with his family and the thousands of others who have lost loved ones to this preventable catastrophe.鈥�