After eight long years, the video of the final hour of J’Allen Jones’s life inside Garner Correctional Center in Newtown was finally made public. Most who witnessed it were horrified by what they saw. 

The behavior of correctional staff was indefensible and in no way professional. A man completely defenseless being assaulted by several staff while others looked on. A huge government coverup followed his untimely death.

I personally have no intention of watching something I have been warned is so difficult to watch.  An article published three years ago provided three still frames of the moments leading up to Jones’s death in 2018 and they were so disturbing I had a difficult time getting to sleep that night.  There were great efforts  made to assure the public would never see how Jones died. His mom had a right to see how her son died. We have cameras throughout the facilities to provide oversight.

In light of transparency, the state should not have the right to hide video that casts them in a negative light yet the attorney general fought tenaciously to do just that.

After years of advocacy, the video was released a week ago. Senate Republicans published a statement calling for a hearing to discuss reform. The ACLU released a statement from day one.

What is astonishing to me is the silence from Democrats. How could they have nothing to say about the horrifying treatment of another human being held in state custody? Sadly, it has led me to question the moral compass of the party.

Is the fact that it’s election year and no one wants to talk about the huge stain on the government’s record the reason for the silence?  Silence is acceptance. All I know is silence in moments where the people are expecting a voice is a clear sign of the lack of moral courage and integrity to do the right thing in moments when doing the right thing is unpopular and uncomfortable?

Once again, I am disheartened by the Democrats’ approach to justice.

Barbara Fair is the Director of Stop Solitary CT.