Sealed and sequestered, prisons are a world unto themselves. Nor do prisoners have a real constituency on the outside. That leads to a lack of accountability and oversight that can shield egregious violations of the Constitution, state policy, and basic human rights.
Prisoners who are in the fourth week of a hunger strike in the super-max cells of Ohio State Penitentiary are even more isolated from outside scrutiny than other prisoners. At issue in the hunger strike are policy changes at the Youngstown prison that revoked or restricted recreation, group programming, and education programs — including religious services — for more than 55 high-security inmates.
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The nonfatal stabbing of a correctional officer at the prison last December and other incidents made the policy changes necessary to maintain security and safety, said JoEllen Smith, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Prisoners say the crackdown is overbroad and unconstitutional.
As the hunger strike enters its 23rd day, it’s time for the state to conduct an independent review of prisoner complaints and prison policy changes. The investigation could be undertaken by DRC Director Gary Mohr or the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee, a nonpartisan legislative body that helps oversee Ohio’s 28 prisons and more than 50,000 inmates.
The hunger strike started on March 16 with more than 30 prisoners. Some inmates have started eating again. One prisoner, 35-year-old Timothy Peavy, after coughing up blood, discontinued the hunger strike Sunday at the urging of other prisoners. Seven prisoners remain on strike.
One of them, Siddique Hasan, said the state is punishing more than 55 inmates for the misdeeds of one prisoner, who DRC knew had a violent history and is no longer at the Youngstown prison. Hasan, 52, a death row inmate charged in the Lucasville prison uprising of 1993, said that the policy changes don’t affect him directly, but that he is showing solidarity with other inmates. He said he’s prepared to continue the hunger strike for weeks longer if necessary.
“It’s collective punishment and the public continues to get misinformation,” he told The Blade’s editorial page in a phone conversation on Monday. “We want an independent investigation and we would stand on the truth.”
Other inmate complaints include unsafe shower areas and substandard meals provided by DRC’s private food vendor.
All Ohio prisons must balance the need for security with constitutional and moral dictates for fair and humane treatment, as well as the state’s own mission to offer prisoners opportunities to change. An outside investigation appears to be the only way to determine whether Ohio State Penitentiary has struck the right balance in this case.
In an email to The Blade’s editorial page, Ms. Smith said Director Mohr was “fully aware of the situation” and “confident the warden and staff at OSP are managing the situation appropriately.” But relying on a single source of information is not the best way to manage a conflict that has gained statewide attention and could soon become a national story. Some students at the University of Toledo and community members plan to fast on Friday in solidarity with the hunger strikers at Ohio State Penitentiary.
If Mr. Mohr won’t conduct his own review, the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee should do it — and soon.
First Published April 7, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
