Present Status and Background on Guthrie v. Caldwell (Georgia State Prison Case)

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NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC 

egal efense lund 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 * (212) 586-8397 

GUTHRIE V. CALDWELL 

(Georgia State Prison Case) 

Present Status 

Trial, which occurred in three stages and exceeded four months, 

has been completed. Since the Spring, LDF has been negotiating a 

settlement with the defendants. Nearly all of the issues in the 

case have been disposed of either by settlement or order of the 

court. The major outstanding issue is that of medical care. We 

are about to begin the enforcement stage which will extend for 

three years. 

Backgroun 

Guthrie began with a complaint that was filed in September 1972 

alleging unconstitutional conditions at the Georgia State Prison in 

Reidsville, Georgia (GSP). GSP is the last stop in the Georgia 

system; it is the largest facility in the system and houses the 

most difficult inmates. It has a long history of racial segrega- 

tion and racial violence; the prison is about to be integrated for 

the third time since the late ‘60s. Central to the problem of 

violence at the institution is the dormitory system of housing 

that accounts for more than half the berths at the prison. 

Issues 

The case is an omnibus callenge to the conditions at GSP, 

including: severe overcrowding; unsanitary housing and food; in- 

Contributions are deductible Jor U.S. income tax purposes 
The NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATIONAL FUND is not part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People although it 
was founded by it and shares its commitment to equal rights. LOF has had for over 20 years a separate Board, program, staff, office and budget 



adequate staff; inadequate medical care; racial discrimination 

in housing, work assignments, discipline, and general treatment; 

brutality against Black inmates; and inadequate security. 

The settlement agreements that have been signed cover these 

and other issues. Included are provisions for expanded legal and 

Black culture libraries; a reduction of population from an earlier 

figure of over 3,000 to 2,150; rights of Black Muslim inmates; 

contact visitation; and expanded academic, vocational and 

rehabilitative programs. 

On December 12th, the court signed an order requiring a 

partial reintegration of the prison. Included in that order isa 

provision requiring the state to come forward with a plan to convert 

the prison to individual cells. Although the state has until 

mid-January to appeal that decision, all indications are that the 

State will go ahead with plans for single-celling. 

The remaining issue of major concern is that of medical care. 

GSP has long served as the medical center for the entire prison 

system; yet its staff and facilities are inadequate for even its 

own needs. The State's own experts have indicated that a separate 

hospital facility must be built for the prison system and that 

the medical staff at GSP must be expanded. However, the required 

monies are being held up because of budgetary considerations. We 

are continuing negotiations on this issue in an effort to free up 

this money. 

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