Old Atlanta Prison Farm

Last updated
A mural amidst debris and abandoned buildings at the Old Atlanta Prison Farm At the Atlanta Prison Farm.jpg
A mural amidst debris and abandoned buildings at the Old Atlanta Prison Farm

The Old Atlanta Prison Farm is an abandoned, city-owned prison complex in southwest DeKalb County in the U.S. state of Georgia. From approximately 1920 to 1990, the farm was worked by prisoners to produce food for the region's prison system. [1] [2] There are limited historical records detailing the operation of the farm, especially after 1965. [2]

Contents

The prison farm is located in the South River Forest, a 3,500-acre (14 km2) green space inside the Atlanta perimeter that conservationists have sought to protect since 2000. [3] A controversial police training facility, dubbed Cop City by opponents, was approved for construction on the site of the prison farm by the Atlanta City Council in September 2021. [4] Opponents say the project is an example of environmental racism and have opposed that project by occupying the forest around the prison farm, leading to several conflicts with Atlanta police. [3] [5] [6]

History and farm operation

The Old Atlanta Prison Farm began operating in about 1920 and saw its heaviest production during the 1950s, when it was called Honor Farm. By 1959, the farm was producing 880 tons of food and generated $115,000 in profit for the prison system. Products produced at the farm included pork, vegetables and milk. [2]

A 1999 historical analysis of the prison farm by Jillian Wootten of the Atlanta Department of City Planning stated that the farm was owned and operated as a federal prison from 1918 to 1965, when it was acquired by the City of Atlanta. In 2021, [2] the Atlanta Community Press Collective analyzed city and press archives and concluded that Wootten's 1999 report conflated three different properties used by prison systems in Atlanta, and that the prison farm was never federally owned. [1] Wootten's report described the farm as a relatively low-security establishment for non-violent offenders from its inception until the city's acquisition of the farm in 1965, after which there are limited records. The 2021 report by the Atlanta Community Press Collective found evidence of, "systemic abuse, torture, overcrowding, neglect, and racialized violence throughout the prison farm's history, as well as the possibility that unmarked graves of prisoners exist on the grounds." [3]

Wootten found that the prison farm should be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recommended that it be preserved as a "valuable, environmentally rich and historic place". [2]

Civil rights leader Stokely Carmichael was briefly held at the farm as a political prisoner during the civil rights movement. [3]

South River Forest

The Old Atlanta Prison Farm is situated within the South River Forest, a 3500-acre green space that conservationists and some residents have argued should be preserved. [7] Atlanta has the largest tree canopy of any major US city and is known as the 'city in the forest'. [8] Two organizations, the South River Forest coalition and the South River Watershed Alliance, have filed lawsuits against the development projects that threaten the forest. [9] These developments include a controversial police training facility and a land swap between the city and the film industry.

Police training facility

In September 2021, the City of Atlanta approved plans to build an 85-acre (34-ha) police training facility on the site of the old prison farm. The vote was contested and had to be delayed to make time for over 17 hours of public comment, most of which opposed the development. [10] The $90 million training facility is partially funded by the city and partially by the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF). [8]

A tree sit to prevent cutting of trees at the Old Atlanta prison farm Prison farm tree sit.jpg
A tree sit to prevent cutting of trees at the Old Atlanta prison farm

In order to prevent construction of the facility, protesters or forest defenders have built encampments, tree sits, and blockades to prevent the entry of construction teams and police. [11] There have been confrontations between police and forest defenders, leading to multiple arrests. [5] [6]

Forest defenders have discussed the APF development in the context of settler colonialism and environmental racism. [12] [3] Opposition to the project has stemmed from ongoing complaints against the Atlanta Police Department for police brutality in the context of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. [13] Opponents say that construction of the police training facility will lead to increased police brutality, and particularly object to the placement of the facility on the site of alleged human rights violations associated with the prison farm. [3] They also note that the proposed facility is larger than similar projects owned by other large US cities. [8]

The city says that the training facility is necessary to fight rising crime and that the old prison farm is the only feasible site. Supporters say the facility would help with police recruitment and retention. [10] They also say the development includes plans for green space. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. Rap Brown</span> American activist (born 1943)

Jamil Abdullah al-Amin, is an American human rights activist, and Muslim cleric who was the fifth chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s. Best known as H. Rap Brown, he served as the Black Panther Party's minister of justice during a short-lived alliance between SNCC and the Black Panther Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naples Airport (Florida)</span> Public airport in Florida, United States

Naples Airport, formerly known as Naples Municipal Airport, is a public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) northeast of the central business district of Naples, the most populous city and county seat of Collier County, Florida. It is owned by the Naples Airport Authority. The airport is home to flight schools, air charter operators, car rental agencies, and corporate aviation and non-aviation businesses. The airport is also a central location for public services, including fire/rescue services, mosquito control, the Collier County Sheriff's Aviation Unit and other community services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree sitting</span> Occupying trees as a political protest

Tree sitting is a form of environmentalist civil disobedience in which a protester sits in a tree, usually on a small platform built for the purpose, to protect it from being cut down. Supporters usually provide the tree sitters with food and other supplies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Liberation Army</span> American underground, black nationalist militant organization

The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was an underground Marxist–Leninist, black-nationalist militant organization that operated in the United States from 1970 to 1981. Composed of former Black Panthers (BPP) and Republic of New Afrika (RNA) members who served above ground before going underground, the organization's program was one of war against the United States government, and its stated goal was to "take up arms for the liberation and self-determination of black people in the United States." The BLA carried out a series of bombings, killings of police officers and random Caucasians, robberies, and prison breaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Kathryn Johnston</span> 2006 police killing

Kathryn Johnston was an elderly woman from Atlanta, Georgia who was killed by undercover police officers in her home on Neal Street in northwest Atlanta on November 21, 2006, where she had lived for 17 years. Three officers had entered her home in what was later described as a 'botched' drug raid. Officers cut off burglar bars and broke down her door using a no-knock warrant. Police said Johnston fired at them and they fired in response; she fired one shot out the door over the officers' heads and they fired 39 shots, five or six of which hit her. None of the officers were injured by her gunfire, but Johnston was killed by the officers. Police injuries were later attributed to friendly fire from each other's weapons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Police Department</span> Police force in Georgia, U.S.

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is a law enforcement agency in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverside County Sheriff's Department</span> Law enforcement agency in California

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RSD), also known as the Riverside Sheriff's Office (RSO), is a law enforcement agency in Riverside County, in the U.S. state of California. Overseen by an elected sheriff-coroner, the department serves unincorporated areas of Riverside County as well as some of the incorporated cities in the county by contract. 17 of the county's 26 cities, with populations ranging from 4,958 to 193,365, contract with the department for police services. The county hospital and one tribal community also contract with the department for proactive policing. Riverside County is home to 12 federally recognized Indian reservations. Absent proactive policing and traffic enforcement, the department is responsible for enforcing criminal law on all Native American tribal land within the county. This function is mandated by Public Law 280, enacted in 1953, which transferred the responsibility of criminal law enforcement on tribal land from the federal government to specified state governments including California. The department also operates the county's jail system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas A. Blackmon</span> American writer and journalist

Douglas A. Blackmon is an American writer and journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for his book, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta tree canopy</span> Tree coverage in Atlanta

The American city of Atlanta, Georgia has a reputation as the "city in a forest" due to its abundance of trees, uncommon among major cities. Tree coverage was estimated at 47.9% for 2008, in a 2014 study.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Atlanta mayoral election</span>

The 2021 Atlanta mayoral election occurred on November 2, 2021, with a runoff between the top two candidates taking place on November 30. Incumbent mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms did not seek reelection. City council member Andre Dickens defeated council president Felicia Moore in the runoff by a margin of more than 20%. Candidates eliminated in the general election included former mayor Kasim Reed and attorney Sharon Gay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Rayshard Brooks</span> June 2020 police killing in Atlanta, Georgia

On the night of June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was confronted by officers of the APD and was shot by Atlanta Police Department (APD) officer Garrett Rolfe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States racial unrest (2020–2023)</span> State of unrest in the United States following the murder of George Floyd

A wave of civil unrest in the United States, initially triggered by the murder of George Floyd during his arrest by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, led to protests and riots against systemic racism in the United States, including police brutality and other forms of violence. Since the initial national wave and peak ended towards the end of 2020, numerous other incidents of police violence have drawn continued attention and lower intensity unrest in various parts of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trilith Studios</span> Film studio in Fayetteville, Georgia

Trilith Studios is an American film and television production studio located south of Atlanta in Fayette County, Georgia. Originally known as Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the studio has been used to produce many films and television programs, particularly those produced by Marvel Studios. Trilith Studios encompasses a 700-acre site, with a 400-acre backlot and 32 soundstages. A virtual production volume, Prysm Stage, opened in early 2022. As of 2021, Trilith Studios is the largest production facility in the state of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Dickens</span> American politician (born 1974)

Andre Dickens is an American politician and nonprofit executive who is the 61st and current mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. He was a member of the Atlanta City Council and defeated council president Felicia Moore in the second round of Atlanta's 2021 mayoral election. He is the chief development officer at TechBridge, a nonprofit technology organization. He served as the chairperson of the transportation committee and chaired on the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stop Cop City</span> American social movement

Stop Cop City (SCC), also known as Block Cop City and Defend the Atlanta Forest (DTF), is a decentralized movement in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, whose goal is to stop construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center by the Atlanta Police Foundation and the City of Atlanta. The proposed location for the facility is the Old Atlanta Prison Farm, and opponents of the facility are concerned about the growth of policing in the city—which has witnessed several protests against police violence following the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the killing of Rayshard Brooks, both by police officers.

The South River Forest or Weelaunee Forest is an area in southeast metro Atlanta, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States named after the nearby South River. The South River is also known by its Muscogee Creek name, the "Weelaunee". The area includes significant disparate, undeveloped forested parcels that help protect the river and tributaries. The area was originally identified and named the "South River Park" by Atlanta's Department of City Planning and identified as one of the lungs of Atlanta to be established as a conservation zone. Subsequently, The Nature Conservancy, the South River Watershed Alliance, South River Forest Coalition, Save the Old Atlanta Prison Farm, and others collaborated in an effort to hold Atlanta accountable to its conservation plan for the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Tortuguita</span> 2023 death of an environmental activist in Georgia, United States

Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, also known as Tortuguita, was a Venezuelan environmental activist and eco-anarchist who was shot and killed by Georgia State Patrol Troopers, after a Georgia State Patrol Trooper was wounded during a raid of the Stop Cop City encampment on January 18, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cop City</span> Police training facility in Georgia, US

The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, commonly known as Cop City, is a police and fire department training campus under construction in the South River Forest area of DeKalb County near Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Much of the land included in the plans was formerly part of the Old Atlanta Prison Farm, which was abandoned in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Police Foundation</span> American not-for-profit organization

The Atlanta Police Foundation is an American nonprofit organization that provides support to the Atlanta Police Department.

References

  1. 1 2 Atlanta Community Press Collective (August 14, 2021). "A brief history of the Atlanta City Prison Farm". Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Wootten, Jillian (November 5, 1999). Historical Analysis of the Atlanta Prison Farm Archived 2022-08-13 at the Wayback Machine . Dekalb History.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vicks, Akil (July 2022). "Atlanta Is Building a "Cop City" on the Site of a Former Prison Farm". Jacobin . Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  4. ↑ Boryga, Andrew (September 9, 2021). "Atlanta's 'Cop City' Will Become a Reality, Despite Pushback". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  5. 1 2 3 Capelouto, J. D.; Estep, Tyler (March 14, 2022). "Amid site's encampment, plans continue for Atlanta's police, fire training center". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN   1539-7459. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  6. 1 2 Ruch, John (May 18, 2022). "Public safety training center protests are followed by arrests, advisory group meeting cancellation". Saporta Report. Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  7. ↑ "South River Forest". South River Forest. Archived from the original on 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  8. 1 2 3 Arnold, Aja (August 11, 2021). "Atlanta Poised to Approve Massive Police Training Facility Despite Public Opposition". The Intercept. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  9. ↑ Pendered, David (March 22, 2022). "Intrenchment Creek Park land swap hinges on new law making it easier to sue government". Saporta Report. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  10. 1 2 Capelouto, J. D.; Huynh, Anjali; Nobles, Wilborn (September 8, 2021). "17 hours of comments continue to play before tonight's vote on Atlanta police training center". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN   1539-7459. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  11. ↑ Fassler, Ella (February 17, 2022). "Activists Are Occupying the Woods of Atlanta to Block a New Police Facility". Vice. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  12. ↑ "Defend Atlanta Forest, USA". Environmental Justice Atlas . Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  13. ↑ Arnold, Aja (October 21, 2021). "Racial justice organizers to lead march to stop Cop City, demand corporate divestment from police foundation". Mainline. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-30.

33°41′50″N84°20′06″W / 33.69722°N 84.33500°W / 33.69722; -84.33500

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.