Hurricane Florence: Prisoners WON’T be evacuated from South Carolina as storm approaches
HURRICANE Florence has prompted an evacuation of 1.7 million people from the US east coast as the storm nears. Human Rights Watch has raised fears for prisoners held in a state jail who will not be evacuated before the terrifying storm makes landfall.
By JOE GAMP
Express.co.uk
Thu, Sep 13, 2018
The Atlantic hurricane is headed straight for the eastern seaboard, with reports stating it could make landfall in the Carolinas, while more recent forecasts predict the cyclone will make landfall in Georgia or Virginia.
But prisoners based at a state prison in Jasper County, South Carolina, will not be so lucky.
The South Carolina department of corrections on Monday said prisoners and staff would not be evacuated in preparation for the storm, which is expected to hit in the next 24 hours.
On Thursday, Human Rights Watch raised concerns for the safety of over 934 prisoners and 119 staff based at Ridgeland state correctional facility.
The state facility is situated in the area that was declared an emergency zone by South Carolina governor Henry McMaster, where he had ordered compulsory evacuations.
But on Tuesday, Mr McMaster modified his evacuation order and left out Beaufort, Colleton and Jasper Counties from the original emergency zone.
Mr McMaster lifted the orders due to projections showing the hurricane would move further north.
Human Rights Watch insisted that the prison was still inside the evacuation zone, which has been enforced by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
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