CRISIS IN TEXAS: 40,000 caged pretrial. State violence, denial of medical care, starvation, solitary, infection. Today, this young man's death ruled a homicide by jail guards. Yet *right now, Texas poised to pass a racist law to significantly expand pretrial caging.* Thread: 
Jaquaree Simmons. You probably haven't heard of him. Just 23. Caged pretrial in TX. Called mom almost every day from his jail cell. Crying & begging for help. One week later, found dead. That was 3 months ago. His family still has not been given any info. click2houston.com/news/local/202…
The night before his death, Jaquaree was attacked by a "detention officer." Hit the floor. "He’s small at 5-foot-3 & 125 pounds." Jail saying there's no video. “We still haven’t seen Jaquaree." Texas's answer back to his family: we're gonna pass a law to cage even more.
More than 60% in Texas jails--40000--have not been convicted of a crime. Majority are caged bc they cannot afford bail. Firing 11 officers who either beat him or left him alone to die is bare minimum. Yet racist Gov. Abbott, police, prosecutors want more to suffer.
This past year, I've been working with local organizers at @TxJailProject who for years have been fighting for humanity in jails in Texas. I've listened to hundreds of phone calls. And Jaquaree's death doesn't surprise me. Desperation in their voices:
LISTEN: 2 men caged pretrial on affordable bail in Harris County, TX. No food. Denied meds. Freezing. Over 7000 caged during a pandemic. Treated like animals. "Theyre not worried about us. Theyre not worried about nothing going on with us." More:
LISTEN: Man caged pretrial in Harris County TX. Same jail that murdered Jaquaree. Called with terrifying details. "I’m calling this morning because I don’t really have anywhere else to turn. I need your help." Asked this to be shared:
Call from Taylor County, TX: "What’s the law on excessive use of force, police brutality. Are jailers allowed to punch inmates, choke, kick, knee inmates, & put inmates in full body straight jacket handcuffed behind their back? Is it cruel & unusual to do these things?"
There is an epidemic of violence, cruelty, racism, inhumanity in pretrial caging in Texas. The fact that it continued during COVID underscores how much we need to shut this torture down. Instead TX poised to amend their constitution to allow for more!
https://twitter.com/TxJailProject/status/1398249782125252608?s=20
A growing, digital archive of first hands accounts from people caged Texas jails & their families is now live. Phone calls. Letters. Grievances. Photos. Majority from Harris County where Jaquaree was killed.
Listen. Without judgment. Without distraction: SheddingLight.in
Listen. Without judgment. Without distraction: SheddingLight.in
For more on the current legal developments with the firing of the guards responsible for his death and Jaquaree's family's fight for truth and justice, please read this thread:
https://twitter.com/equalityAlec/status/1398372612762443780?s=20
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