In recent times, the prison system in South Carolina has been said to be in a crisis.
A new video suggests this issue goes back years.
On the New Year’s Eve of 2017, a prison fight erupted in Turbeville, South Carolina.
Among those injured was 32-year-old Allen “AJ” Capers.
He was stabbed multiple times and was in severe pain, his health reaching critical danger.
A pair of guards, working on restoring order, decided to pull Capers out of the room and into the prison yard.
They dragged him outside and left him be as they returned indoors to settle things.
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In near-freezing temperatures, Capers lay in pain.
Footage shows that he was left there for half an hour as guards walked past his bleeding form.
At this point, he was in a pool of his own blood.
Eventually, an inmate hurried over to help him, and two inmates moved him onto a stretcher and brought him away – but by that time, Capers was no longer moving or responsive.
Later that night, the South Carolina Department of Corrections tweeted that an altercation at the prison led to the death of an inmate and offsite medical treatment for eight inmates.
Since the video of what happened to Capers has surfaced, many believe he deserves justice for not being given the medical care he urgently needed.
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One such person is Capers’ own mother, named Debra Dickson.
She has never seen the actual video herself, as she wants to remember her son as she knew him before – not in his last, torturous moments.
However, she has filed a lawsuit regarding this matter against the prison system of South Carolina, seeking justice and change.
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Sadly, in this altercation – and many other prison fights throughout the 21 facilities and among the thousand or so inmates under the South Carolina prison system – shows that often, inmates will risk their lives to save the prison guards and staff.
It’s an oddly ironic fact, and one often overlooked.
Staffing in prisons is also a difficult matter, as it’s a very dangerous job with low salaries, and therefore it has a high turnover rate.
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Just a short while ago last April, the Lee Correctional Institution, Bishopville, South Carolina, became home to the largest riot to take place in any prison facility in America in the past 25 years.
It involved the deaths of seven individuals, and many experts state that the riot is not being investigated sufficiently as conditions in Southern prisons continue to worsen.
21 murders have occurred in prisons in the state of South Carolina in the last 2 years alone.
An additional 10 suicides have also happened in the state.
Furthermore, errors are being made continuously – just a short while ago, 10 convicted violent criminals were released early by accident from South Carolina prisons.
It isn’t entirely fair to blame the situation on prison staff, but it is definitely an aspect that affects these figures.
There is a significant lack of concern within the system, and staff continues to leave for fear of their safety – so hiring officers and keeping them there is a huge obstacle for as long as pay remains low.