ATHENS, Alabama — Limestone NAACP leaders are calling for immediate change at the Limestone Correctional Facility after receiving several complaints within the last year.
Tammy Williams explained that her her brother is incarcerated at the Limestone County Correctional Facility, and he has been attacked three times. The first time was March 6, 2021. The next time was March 21 of that same year. "That particular time my brother was assaulted in his sleep, and he was stabbed over 25 times. He had a punctured lung as well."
However, the family was never notified. "The way that we found out was through another inmate that called his family that reached out to us." Furthermore, when Williams reached out concerning this, "....They gave us no answers. They would not tell us anything. And you know what they told me when I called and spoke with the warden and the warden assistant, Oh, you only get notified if your loved one dies. That is not acceptable. And that is not the truth. According to the DOJ, they are supposed to notify the family if your if your loved one is moved, if your loved one is ill. And of course, if they are in the hospital on life support. I'm saying all these things because I want you all to know how inhumane people are treated. These are people. These are our loved ones."
Sybrenna Harris also has a family member at the Limestone County Correctional Facility. and she also has some pressing concerns. "You have 350 inmates in one block, and there's no air conditioning there," she said. Harris goes on to say that her family member was initially only supposed to be at the Correctional Facility for 18 months. "But he's been in the system now for over 10 years with no explanation as to why they're holding him each time he comes up for parole," she continued.
So what's the Limestone NAACP's stance? "We're asking our governor and the Department of Corrections and Limestone facility to better facilitate these prison units," said Limestone NAACP President Wilbert Woodruff.
Alabama NAACP State Conference President Benard Simelton also adds this point. "This is going on across the state of Alabama, and it's time for the Governor and the Department of Corrections to do something about it."