HOUSTON, Jan 14 (NNN-Xinhua) — It has been more than three days since over 70 prisoners began a hunger strike protesting harsh solitary confinement practices across the south central US state Texas, the Texas Tribune reported on Friday.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has confirmed at least 72 of them are still starving themselves, according to the report.
“Our protest will remain peaceful and spans all races and religions to improve the conditions for all within the confines of the TDCJ,” the report cited a press release from the prisoners as saying, adding that it was “compiled by independent activist Brittany Robertson from messages she received from six striking men at three prisons.”
The prisoners plan to continue their strike over the holiday weekend unless prison officials meet with a committee of members of different gangs who want to negotiate, said the report.
“Thousands of prisoners are kept in solitary confinement in Texas. In November, more than 500 prisoners had been in isolation for more than a decade,” said the report. — NNN-XINHUA
