WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2021) The Biden administration has initiated a Federal investigation into the conditions of prisoners and dangers of physical harm and sexual abuse to them in the prison system of the US state of Georgia, the Justice Department said in a release on Tuesday.
"The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a statewide civil investigation into conditions of confinement of prisoners held in Georgia's prisons," the release said. "The investigation will examine whether Georgia provides prisoners reasonable protection from physical harm at the hands of other prisoners."
The Justice Department also will continue its existing investigation into whether Georgia provides lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex prisoners reasonable protection from sexual abuse by other prisoners and by staff, the release said.
"Individuals sentenced to prison in Georgia Department of Corrections facilities deserve to be treated humanely. Our office is committed to ensuring state prisoners are safe while serving their sentences," Acting US Attorney Kurt Erskine for the Northern District of Georgia said in the release.
The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act that gives the Justice Department the authority to investigate whether any violations of prisoners' constitutional rights result from a "pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights," the release added.
