A month ago, Charles Hobbs was suffocating in a cell of men infected w/ COVID in a Miami jail. Those men tried saving his life. Guards ignored them. He died. Those men bravely spoke out. “I went to sleep w/ tears in my eyes. Grabbing my bible.” These are their voices. Hear them:
“The day the gentleman came in, he looked ill. He was looking fragile and weak. Nobody knew his name.”
—Nathaniel Brown, 51, incarcerated at the Metro West Detention Center, discussing Charles Hobbs.
Mr. Hobbs in healthier, happier times:
—Nathaniel Brown, 51, incarcerated at the Metro West Detention Center, discussing Charles Hobbs.
Mr. Hobbs in healthier, happier times:
“I was sitting up on my bunk. And I heard heavy breathing. And there was an old man.”
—Lavelle Vance, incarcerated at the Metro West Detention Center. Positive for COVID-19.
—Lavelle Vance, incarcerated at the Metro West Detention Center. Positive for COVID-19.
“You could hear it. Like a wheezing sound. Like if he had a lot of fluid inside of him. He couldn’t breathe right. We went to the corporal on duty. The corporal said, “That’s not my problem.”
—Efrain Garcia. Jailed at Metro West Detention Center in Miami.
Art by Matt Rota:
—Efrain Garcia. Jailed at Metro West Detention Center in Miami.
Art by Matt Rota:
“So later on that night. He’s like really unresponsive. Gagging for breath. So we ran to the door. Like ‘Hey Hey Hey!’ They took their precious time to come in.”
— Eric Benn, incarcerated at the Metro West Detention Center, tested positive for COVID-19
Art by Matt Rota:
— Eric Benn, incarcerated at the Metro West Detention Center, tested positive for COVID-19
Art by Matt Rota:
“When the officer did do a round, he knocked on the guy’s bunk. The guy didn’t respond. So he walked off and walked back to his desk. He repeated that action three times.” —Nathaniel.
“It lasted about 10 minutes before he actually got on his radio.” —Efrain.
This is Efrain:
“It lasted about 10 minutes before he actually got on his radio.” —Efrain.
This is Efrain:
“The medical staff came in. And they went to attend to Mr. Hobbs. But he was unresponsive.” —Lavelle.
“They gave him CPR. He was already kind of gone. They kept trying to give him CPR. But the guy had no pulse. —Eric.
“It looked like he was dead. Lifeless.”
Art by Matt Rota:
“They gave him CPR. He was already kind of gone. They kept trying to give him CPR. But the guy had no pulse. —Eric.
“It looked like he was dead. Lifeless.”
Art by Matt Rota:
“So they picked him up. Wheeled him out. And they never came back in. We all was mad like. Man you could have really got some help for this guy.” —Nathaniel.
Charles Hobbs when he was alive:
Charles Hobbs when he was alive:
Efrain: “Everybody here is afraid.”
Nathaniel: “Were in a cell full of people that tested positive. What happened to Charles could’ve happened to me. I’m 51 going on 52. And any one of us could die at any time. If we take a turn for the worse.”
Lavelle: “There’s really like no type of hope being inside a jail with this. It’s no type of hope.”
On the same day that Charles Hobbs died, Miami jails appealed a federal judge’s order requiring them to provide soap & detergent, & take other actions to make people safe inside. They argued that they would suffer “irreparable injury” if forced to do so.
Less than a week after Charles Hobbs died in Miami jail after being left to suffocate, a federal appeals ruled that Miami jails would be “irreparably injured” if required, among other things, to provide soap and disinfect to people incarcerated.
To listen to full versions of each of Lavelle, Efrain, Eric, and Nathaniel’s witness statements and take action, demanding Miami decarcerate and protect people until they do, visit: nowhearus.org/survivingmiami
For a brutal accounting of the cruelty inflicted on Charles Hobbs & why he should never have been in jail at all, read @radleybalko’s powerful piece: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/…
