8 more Alabama inmates on hunger strike over solitary move

ATMORE, Ala. – Less than a week after an Alabama inmate ended a hunger strike to protest the use of solitary confinement, eight more prisoners have begun hunger strikes of their own.

The Montgomery Advertiser cites a release from a prison advocacy group that says the Alabama Department of Corrections told eight inmates that they were placed in solitary at Holman Correctional Facility as a “preventative measure,” unrelated to disciplinary action. Attorney Donna Smalley says the eight are “recognized peacekeepers.”

Corrections spokesman Bob Horton said late Monday that three had ended their strikes.

A group of 30 inmates were transferred to Holman on Feb. 28, following a contraband raid at St. Clair Correctional Facility. Horton says those placed in segregated housing need to be assessed for assignment to the general population.

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Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com