Susanne and Janene

Susanne Wallace’s daughter Janene died by suicide at George W. Hill Correctional Facility on May 26, 2015 after spending 52 days locked in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day while being held on a probation violation.

Hear Susanne’s grief, anger, sadness, and determination as she shares Janene’s story.

Joseph and Jonathan

Joseph German shares the story of his son Jonathan, who has spent time incarcerated in George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

Hear Joseph's powerful testimony as he explains the prison's impact on his son, himself, and his family.

FRANK

Frank is a Corrections Officer at George W. Hill who has agreed to share his wealth of knowledge about the facility, including his experiences with the poor treatment of inmates, lack of basic support for staff, inadequate training, dirty and unsafe conditions, and more.

Shonette

Shonette shares her unique perspective as both a former staff member at George W. Hill and also a resident at the correctional facility. From contraband to inmate assault, Shonette makes it clear that there was nothing fair and nothing caring about how inmates were treated there.

Zoey and Tyler

"Things are worse now than they ever were for inmates there.” Zoey tells us about watching in fear, helplessness, and frustration as her fiancé Tyler has dealt with lockdowns, violence, and lack of psychiatric care during multiple stays at George W. Hill.

Stacey

Stacey shares her experience as the mother of two children who were incarcerated at George W. Hill Correctional Facility. Dismissiveness and lack of concern from the guards and staff were par for the course for both her children and herself as a visitor at the facility.

Chris

“I’m not going back there… It’s more like a torture facility than a Correctional facility - they do what they want!” Chris spent thousands of dollars and six months of his life fighting a probation violation while suffering indignity and humiliation during his stay at George W. Hill.

Erin

"Most guards treated us as less than human.” Imagine detoxing from opioids with little to no medical support. Or witnessing violence against a disabled prisoner who can’t defend herself. Erin shares her experience at George W. Hill, and the compassion and dignity that were nowhere to be found.

stephen

Stephen’s story is the story of a man fighting to be heard, and fighting to make change for others after his own distressing experience at George W. Hill Correctional Facility. The lack of support, lack of information, and complete lack of help from staff during his stay left a painful scar.

Carl

Carl opens up about his 10 stays at the George W. Hill Correctional facility. From difficulty seeing counselors to lack of educational programs, Carl languished with pervasive feelings of helplessness, guilt and shame during his time at the privately managed prison.

JALEN

After a long history with incarceration, Jalen confidently tells us that George W. Hill is “the worst jail in the tri-state area.” Hear his open and honest assessment, from laundry left dirty to correctional officers turning a blind eye until they are forced to act.

Gina and Matthew

Gina shares the story of her son Matthew, his mental health difficulties, and his experiences at George W. Hill. She explains her difficulties advocating for Matthew’s care, and even simply visiting him at the facility - “They treat you like you're a criminal, just because you're visiting someone there.”

BRIAN

“We’re just numbers to them.” Brian speaks without anger or bitterness despite numerous negative and humiliating experiences during his stays at George W. Hill, where he fought an uphill battle to improve himself and his situation while just getting through each day.

Diana

Diana feels far from positive about George W. Hill after her daughter stayed there last year. She wanted nothing more than for her hearing-impaired daughter to be treated with respect, but instead both she and her daughter had to fight an uphill battle for their basic rights.

KYLEEN

“The inhumanities that I experienced at George W. Hill have stayed with me - they don’t just go away.” Kyleen struggled to get help when she finally broke down after 36 days in solitary confinement at George W. Hill. She shares her story in the hopes of bringing dignity back to the facility.

Matt

Matt shares his story about his time at George W. Hill in 2016, his life after prison, and where he finds himself currently. He discusses treatment in the facility, resource accessibility, and how the carceral experience does not necessarily end after release.