As Black August Begins, Ware State Prisoners in Georgia Launch Rebellion

Report from Atlanta IWOC on recent uprising at Ware State Prison in Georgia.

A slave rebellion aka prison revolt took place at Ware State Prison, located in South Georgia, on the night of August 1^st 2020, starting at roughly 10 PM. A guard was tied up, two other guards were stabbed, windows broken, and a golf cart and different sections of the prison were set ablaze.

A Ware State Prison riot is what happens when our prisons arent humane and when underfunded and overworked staff are trained to be ruthless. The violence was already ignored- grievances concerning COVID was the final straw https://t.co/YGRpZoKB7k

— Ashley Jay ??‍♀️ (@LegallyBlahh) August 2, 2020

Three prisoners were also shot during the uprising by Ware County police. One had been shot in the thigh and another in the arm. “We are tired of this shit, FUCK 12!” In a video released online, incarcerated folks can be seen helping those inside who were shot by wrapping and elevating the wounds, bringing them ice, and carrying the injured to get more medical care.

Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC) spokesperson Joan Heath said in a statement released Sunday morning that, “The cause of the disturbance is unknown at this time,” which is ridiculous considering Ware State Prison has been operating at its maximum capacity during this pandemic. That means at least 1,546 people inside are regularly vulnerable to possible exposure, medical neglect and state sanctioned executions via COVID-19. Two people incarcerated at Ware State Prison have died due to COVID-19, while at least 22 have tested positive, as well as 32 employees.

Prisoners at Ware State Prison in Georgia are revolting. Reports still coming in by rumor they have seized the armory. Around 1500 insurgents. Prisoners are fighting for their lives and we all need to pay attention. pic.twitter.com/DDvDrd3yvd

— Vitalist International (@VitalistInt) August 2, 2020

Throughout this pandemic, people incarcerated at Ware State Prison have experienced extreme medical neglect since the outbreak began, where even those with the most severe coronavirus symptoms, such as troubled breathing, have been denied medical treatment.

We have been dealing with issues at Ware State Prison since April 2020. pic.twitter.com/u67AWDetft

— Human and Civil Rights Coalition of Georgia (@hcrc_ga) August 2, 2020

Beyond the pandemic, other conditions inside the prison are just as bad. Inmates have only been getting two sandwiches a day, no hot meals, and little to no showers. Unsurprisingly, Ware’s phone line continues to ring unanswered as media and concerned family members of those inside have been flooding them with calls.

We may not see a national prison strike this year but perhaps the necessary actions have evolved. This might be the dire direction that other people enslaved within US jails, prisons, and detention centers will take from now on. Prison-led revolts and slave rebellions are imminent as slavery persists.

People inside #WareStatePrison have been revolting since late Saturday evening, after weeks of lockdown and medical neglect.

They are not being fed right, had their AC shutoff, and are being executed by the State via COVID.

Support this insurgency with us tomorrow!! pic.twitter.com/Wf6ArwkRK8

— Atlanta IWOC (@AtlantaIWOC) August 4, 2020

There is a car caravan to support those inside revolting against GDOC’s negligence at Ware State Prison planned for August 4th, 2020.

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Atlanta Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee

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