Human rights groups to rally against prison conditions

A coalition of human rights groups will hold a rally at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday at the City-County Building, Downtown, to protest conditions in state prisons.

The protest, to be followed by a news conference at noon, aims to counter the portrayal by the state Department of Corrections that the arrest of former prison guard Harry F. Nicoletti proves its tough stance on abuse of prisoners, according to a press release.

Nicoletti was charged with nearly 100 counts of sexual assault, threats and attacks on more than 20 inmates at SCI-Pittsburgh over two years.

The leaders of the rally contend that there are hundreds of human rights violations within the prison system.

Among the sponsors of the protest are the Human Rights Coalition-Fed Up!, New Voices Pennsylvania: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice, the FOCUS on Women Campaign for Incarcerated Women, the Pennsylvania Network Against Torture and the Alliance for Police Accountability.

The Human Rights Coalition and the Alliance for Police Accountability are urging an immediate halt to prison construction within the state. They say the Legislature has approved funding for construction of three more prisons while other states are reducing their prison populations.


(2011-10-16/pittsburghlive)