What’s even more secretive than the Industrial Authority? Valdosta State Prison!

The AJC has noticed

Sounds like trouble is brewing down I-75. —Jim Galloway

that the VDT is getting serious about open records requests:

The Valdosta Daily Times’ Open Records request concerning violent incidents in the Valdosta State Prison was denied Monday.

The Department of Corrections (DOC) denied all requests in the Times’ Open Records filing, stating that, under Georgia law, the documents do not have to be released.

After receiving phone calls from concerned individuals who have knowledge of recent violent prison attacks, the Times submitted the Open Records request to Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens.

Kay Harris wrote that in the VDT today.

Curiously, the state doesn’t even provide a picture of the prison.

It’s enough to make you wonder what they have to hide.

Apparently the VDT wonders:

The Times is disputing the attorney’s statement and refiling the request, as although the newspaper did request specific names and incident dates, the Open Records request also asked for “information concerning injuries sustained by inmates and guards at another’s hands at the prison since January 2009.”

The state could have fulfilled this portion of the request by redacting names, which would have protected the identities and medical files of the individuals.

The Times is also disputing Pham’s statement that attacks on prison officials are deemed protected as security concerns.

Go VDT!

Given that sort of track record from a state prison, we don’t need the Industrial Authority to bring us a private prison that would probably cost us even more. Spend those tax dollars on education instead.

-jsq

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