Vol. 75/No. 11      March 21, 2011

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, they inflicted injuries so severe that Dean was in the hospital for “an extended period of time.” The guards are charged with “aggravated battery” and “violating their oaths of office.”

The assault against Dean came to light after a successful prison strike led to national publicity about the harsh conditions in the Georgia prison system. In early December inmates at 11 state prisons organized a six-day protest and work stoppage against abuse and lack of payment for work they perform. Following the protest, a delegation that included members of the Georgia NAACP and Concerned Coalition To Respect Prisoners’ Rights visited some state prisons to report on conditions.

Guards carried out retaliatory beatings of inmates at Macon State Prison and Smith State Prison. Prisoners’ relatives and prisoner rights advocates brought the retaliatory actions to light. Although Dean’s beating was not related to the prisoners’ strike, it was uncovered during the state’s investigation of prison conditions as a result of the protests.

In a related development, attorneys for mentally retarded Georgia death row inmate Warren Hill asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals February 15 to protect Hill from execution. In 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court banned executions of mentally retarded individuals, but left it up to each state to determine if an individual is mentally retarded.

Georgia law requires proof that the defendant is mentally retarded “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The Georgia Supreme Court had overturned a lower court ruling that Hill met the state’s standard.  
 
 
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