Calling for Federal Investigation of State Jail Deaths

Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 24, 2023 

Contact: Michael Holloman, michael.holloman@berlinrosen.com, 757-955-5804

Phoebe Rogers, phoebe.rogers@berlinrosen.com, 914-343-9063

‘The people of West Virginia cannot be left in the dark’

As 100+ People Die in Troubled West VA Jails, Families, Poor People’s Campaign Demand Gov. Justice, Sen. Manchin, DOJ Launch Investigation 

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Families, advocates demand accountability, federal action in petition to Gov. Justice, Sen. Manchin, letter to the DOJ

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Over 100 people of all races have died in state regional jails in the last decade, including 13 at the Southern Regional Jail this year alone

BECKLEY, WV. –  As the number of deaths across West Virginia state prisons continues to soar, families of the victims, members of the West Virginia Poor People’s Campaign and members of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival held a virtual press conference on Thursday to raise the alarm and demand accountability, transparency and an immediate investigation into the local prison system.

“What we’re seeing in West Virginia is how poor people of all races are being caught up in a system, going in for one thing and ending up dead, and some in less than 24 hours. This should not be going on, and we must have a full, independent federal investigation of what’s happening here in West Virginia,” said Bishop William J. Barber. “Just the fact that these families have to literally beg and run around, and can’t get any answers is just so offensive. The system that is treating people in this way is just immoral, shameful, unjust and wrong.”

This year alone, 13 people of all races have died at the Southern Regional Jail in Beckley, a prison plagued by understaffing, overcrowding, neglect and other harsh conditions. Since 2018, the Southern Regional Jail has seen a 13-fold increase in deaths. Meanwhile, state officials refuse to thoroughly investigate these deaths or provide families with critical information on the premature passing of their loved ones.

“So many people in the jail are just awaiting trial! Many for misdemeanors,” Pam Garrison, a leader with the West Virginia Poor People’s Campaign noted in the press conference. “People are dying because they can’t get medical help.” Steward Acuff, another West Virginia Poor People’s Campaign leader, added, “A lot of people are in jail because of the opioid crisis. This is because of Big Pharma and the coal mines. They made a lot of money off of our pain. It’s a tragedy…families can’t even get basic questions answered!”

During the press conference, loved ones of the victims shared the personal impacts of these tragedies:

• Miranda Smith lost her father, Alvis Shrewsbury, in the Southern Regional Jail, where he was held for only 19 days. Explaining the discrepancies between the state’s autopsy and her family’s private autopsy, Smith noted a particular detail about a black eye her father had. Holding up a photo of her father, she said, “As you can see here, in the mugshot that they posted publicly, he has no black eye. And then later on a video-phone call, we take this (referring to a second photo) where my dad has a black eye. That’s very inconsistent.”

• “[When my son Quan died], we didn’t know where they took his body. We had to get in touch with a funeral home director and he located Quan’s body for us,” said Kimberly Burks, whose son Quantez Burks died in the Beckley Southern Regional Jail shortly following his arrival. “In the private autopsy report that we had done, findings were consistent with being handcuffed while being beaten. Both of his wrists were broken, he had an arm broken, nose broken, and a leg bone broken.” When asked about whether an investigation was launched into the nature of his death, she adds, “We haven’t heard anything to this day of anything that the state has done. They have not acknowledged us at all, from day one.”

Upon sharing their gut-wrenching stories of loss, pain, inconsistent autopsies, and a lack of transparent state-level investigations, the families announced their plans to send an open letter to the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division on Friday, February 24, demanding they launch an independent investigation to remedy the dangerous, inhumane, and unconstitutional conditions in the Southern Regional Jail (SRJ) in Raleigh County, West Virginia. 

The letter, which is available upon request, calls on the U.S. DOJ to 1) expedite a Federal civil rights investigation into the jail conditions and an unconscionable number of SRJ deaths, 2) meet with community leaders including directly impacted families members of those who have died, and 3) hold a listening session with community members in Raleigh County to determine the scope of the civil rights violations and community needs that the Department of Justice has the authority to provide a path to redress.

Participants have also signed an open petition calling on Governor Jim Justice and Senator Joe Manchin to both meet with families of the deceased, and pledge their public support and collaboration in the fight for justice, which includes utilizing all levers of their power to trigger the aforementioned launch of a DOJ investigation into local jail deaths.

The petition reads, “Poverty nor a prison sentence should not be a death sentence. Countless low-income West Virginians of all races have died under the watch of the state prison system. [...] Since 1983, the number of incarcerated locals has increased by 235%, well into the thousands. Our state has a rate of 731 incarcerated people per 100,000 citizens. With these numbers in mind, we ask you this: how many of them have to die before our elected leaders stand up for what is right?”

CRISIS MOUNTS IN WEST VA STATE REGIONAL JAILS 

In the last decade, over 100 people, of all races, have died in West Virginia regional jails. In many of these cases, a person died shortly following their arrival, sometimes within 24 hours. While state lawmakers are considering a proposal to increase transparency in West Virginia’s jail system, families are still left in the dark, waiting months for investigations to conclude only to be left with unanswered questions. 

Some concerned loved ones have also reported discrepancies in autopsies conducted by state officials with those conducted by private medical professionals. Close to 1,000 former and current incarcerated people have launched a class action lawsuit against the Southern Regional Jail.

* To access video footage of the presser or a copy of the DOJ letter, please contact phoebe.rogers@berlinrosen.com *

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