Grace Schwall- Man dies of dehydration in a jail

     On April 24, 2016 a man in a Milwaukee jail died from dehydration after his water had been cut off for nearly a week. Others in the prison were aware that he had no access to water but still gave him nothing to drink. Earlier this week the case was ruled a homicide but it is unsure who will be charged for the crime. The article also examines the increase in jail deaths since the passing of Sandra Bland in a Texas Jail. The death toll has increasingly gone up over the past few months.

     This article was written by Ryan Reilly from the Huffington Post to communicate to the public the flaws in the jail conditions of our country today. This article is important because people in prisons have little power over how they are treated, so it's necessary for the public and the government to ensure that prison conditions meet humane and legal standards. Cutting off a man's drinking water until he is found dead, in no way meets appropriate guidelines for the treatment of prisoners. Situations like this occur throughout the country, and they often barely make any sort of headlines. This article shows that jail conditions today have not improved so significantly as needed from the past. In the 1600- 1800s primarily jails were often overcrowded, filthy, and lacking enough food or water for all prisoners. People in these jails often died from disease, starvation, or dehydration. Specifically, English debtors prisons were among the worst when it came to conditions. These debtor's prisons horrified James Oglethorpe which is why he made Georgia a refuge for those imprisoned due to debt. Just like James Oglethorpe, our nation needs to actively work to make prisons a safe place. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-clarke-jail-death-terrill-thomas_us_57e03580e4b04a1497b5f12e