SozoProject

09/25/2025

🚨 Did you know Florida has one of the largest prison systems in the country? 🚨
Florida has over ? correctional institutions. 👀
Take your best guess in the comments ⬇️ — the answer might surprise you.
Let’s start the conversation about how mass incarceration impacts our communities. 💬💔

08/18/2025

When you text HEAT to 40419 it will send you a link please just follow the link and sign your name to the petition that will go to the state representatives and Governor Desantis. Please pass it along to friends and family so we can make a difference and save lives.

05/08/2025

No A/C. 100°+ heat. Could you survive it? Our loved ones inside do—every day. Turn off your A/C for 1 hour and tag us.

04/11/2025

Three officers received 24-hour unpaid suspensions after body cam footage showed them punching and tasing Tyron McAlpin, a deaf man with cerebral palsy, during a wrongful arrest last August. McAlpin was misidentified by another individual involved in a fight and was charged with felony assault before those charges were later dropped. His attorney, Jesse Showalter, called the officers’ actions excessive and the suspensions “a slap on the wrist,” criticizing the city for avoiding true accountability. A lawsuit has since been filed against the city and the officers, alleging battery, negligence, and violations of McAlpin’s constitutional rights.

The message here is loud and clear: in Phoenix, a Black disabled man can be brutalized by police, falsely arrested, and left traumatized—and the officers responsible walk away with a day off and a training session. Tyron McAlpin deserved safety. He deserved humanity. And the community deserves more than empty statements and delayed justice.

Link: https://ow.ly/QwRz50VwbcL

04/11/2025

02/19/2025

Yvonne De La Torre's partner, Alejandro Campos Rios, died after tased him and fired multiple beanbag rounds, causing fatal injuries during a mental health crisis. De La Torre described Rios as a loving man with a good heart and believes the police mishandled the situation.

"They killed him," De La Torre said, expressing her grief and frustration. Seeking answers, Rios' family filed a lawsuit, alleging excessive force and denial of medical care. Not trusting authorities to conduct a fair investigation, De La Torre sought help from our Know Your Rights Camp's Autopsy Initiative, which provides independent autopsies for families affected by police-related deaths. Nicole Martin, our legal program director for the initiative, explained, "There's a lot of counties that have a sheriff-coroner's office, so then you essentially have police investigating police deaths." The Autopsy Initiative for an independent review found significant injuries from the beanbag rounds. De La Torre hopes authorities will acknowledge their mistakes, saying, "He just needed help."

Launched in 2023, our KYRC's Autopsy Initiative provides free secondary independent autopsies for families and loved ones of individuals who died in custody or in incidents involving officers. Since its inception, the initiative has conducted over 100 autopsies.

The tragic death of Alejandro Campos Rios at the hands of Fullerton police is yet another example of how the police system consistently fails to protect those in crisis and how state-sanctioned violence disproportionately impacts marginalized communities.

Link: https://ow.ly/BjFb50V0Fut

01/09/2025

An inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility died last week following a “use of force” incident involving staff, according to state officials. The inmate was hospitalized after the incident and died the following day, prompting an investigation by the Office of Special Investigations, State Police, and the Attorney General’s Office. Staff members involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome. Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III emphasized the department’s commitment to safety, stating, “There is no place for, and I will not tolerate, violence in our correctional facilities.”

The death of an inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility highlights the deadly consequences of a prison system built on punishment rather than rehabilitation. While investigations into this incident may bring temporary answers, they cannot address the larger issue: that state-sanctioned violence within prisons is an inherent part of how the system operates.

Link: https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/post/inmate-dies-after-use-of-force-by-staff-at-marcy-correctional-facility

12/31/2024

The Virginia Black Legislative Caucus has called for an independent investigation into abuse and harsh conditions at Red Onion State Prison after at least six inmates set themselves on fire in protest. Inmate Kevin “Rashid” Johnson described "racism and abuses" and detailed dire conditions, including medical neglect, contaminated food, and excessive solitary confinement. Governor Glenn Youngkin acknowledged the incidents and stated they were under investigation, but no direct response was given to allegations of abuse. The prison, long criticized by human rights organizations, remains under scrutiny as lawmakers and advocacy groups push for accountability and transparency.

Link: https://ow.ly/rAk850UwlmN

12/02/2024