Stop Georgia's Diagnostic Classification State Prison from the internal violence!

My son Joshua was sentenced to 5 years in prison for violating the First offenders plea deal he accepted a year ago. No one was more against a slap on the wrist for his childish actions that caused to him being on probation than me, his mother! I understand the importance of teaching children to face the consequences of their actions early rather than allow the streets and judicial system to do it for them. So when I initially discovered my 19 year old son had been arrested for joy riding in a stolen golfcart I refused to accept collect calls, nor did I visit or send money to him while detained for 45 days. However, I did visit with the Public Defender to inform him of my sons battle with ADHD, I gave him school files detailing his involvment in alternative teaching, as well as the possitive reports of his progress versus his earlier struggles adapting to different medications. I explained to Public Defender that I hoped the 3 Felony  (attempt auto thefts) and 7 misdomenors charges would be reduced, especially since golfcarts were a lot less intimidating than auto theft. He assured me that the charges were padded and would be dismissed, yet he went into visit my son moments before his court appearance and used the information about my son's disability to digest information against him. He verbally intimidated my son with exuberant promises of 5 years on each charge if he didn't accept the 5 year first time offenders deal, which we found out too late was the worst deal he couldv'e ever taken. Under this condition anyone who comes incontact with the police are in violation with their probation and the probation department and judge could revoke originol sentence and make the offender serve the time in prison.

3 months later my son was in violation of his probation and though the District Attorney had a weak case and made my son sit for 6 months in county jail and when we presented him with a motion to dismiss or indict they violated him the next day for his probation and 2 weeks later he was sent to Jackson State Diagnostic prison where after only 7 days in one of Georgia's maximum security prisons, my 5'7 180 pound son was beaten by 18-20 inmates, due to lack of security and irresponsible prison employee's.

• Josh was deemed the lowest of security risk, yet was housed not in the new intake housing unit as protoocal yet in an actual housing unit designated for high security risk inmates. i.e. life-serving inmates and those with equally lengthy sentences.
• The security of the cell doors at this facility in addition to many others within the Georgia Prison System had been the center of concern from several state agency's including the many complaints of inmate families who grieved the loss of their children/loved ones deaths due to other inmates "popping the locks" of the cell doors.
• Josh suffered a broken jaw bone on both sides of his mouth, four teeth loosened and which will probably have to be replaced, back injury's, and wakes up scared out of breath because he fears the gang of young men will come after him again.

After calling to the prison for a week and a half I recieved a call from a counselor at Augusta medical hospital for inmates, that my son was in their prison medical ward but could not tell me anything more. To say I was an emotional mess is an understatement, with the help of my family we tracked down someone who knew someone who knew someone that worked in their system and told us that our son's emergancy contact information wasn't in his files and nor was his visitation and phone list that allowed for outgoing phone calls and visitation from family. Apparently this is the norm in their world. They shuffle the inmate around or put them in "Protective Custody" in hopes of them recopperating before anyone finds them. I shake my head at the stories I've heard and realize this is why they thought they could get away with killing Kendrick Johnson, basically they're still practicing these blantant forms of racisim and abuse for years after every other state in the country abandoned the tactics (or at least tried to hide it) Not  in the state of Georgia, these folks really just ignore the pink elephant in the room and look at you even crazier if you question it!

I was finally allowed access to visit Josh this past Saturday and to see my young son experiecing this by himself is one of the hardest moments in my life.  The doctor there, God Bless this doctor, has used the only authority she has to help my son by keeping him in their hospital ward for the next 2 weeks where for now we know he is safe. Would you believe they're trying to send my son back to Jackson State Diagnostic Prison to finish his classification!?!? This is why I am asking for your signiture, because though this is my son, after reading the many cases of senseless killing, beating, and gang related assaults on other inmates, I realize that this has to be stopped. I Thank God for His mighty Grace upon me because the worst feeling is for a parent to watch their child go through pain and not be able to help. Please help us by signing this petition, thank you so much,
God Bless You!