Families of two men who were fatally stabbed inside a Florida prison are demanding answers after months of mystery surrounding the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths. The families of Allec Garcia, 34, and Antron Griffin, 31, filed separate lawsuits on Monday against the GEO Group, which operates prisons across the U.S., including the South Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility where the men were stabbed to death in separate incidents.
The lawsuits accuse the GEO Group of negligence and failing to address threats from other inmates, saying this led to the men’s wrongful deaths. According to state records, Griffin was serving four years for aggravated battery, and Garcia was serving eight years for battery. The families’ attorney, Kimberly Wald, mentioned that both men were trying to serve their sentences but did not deserve to die due to lack of safety measures in the prison.
The GEO Group responded by stating that they are committed to the safety and well-being of those in their care and that the incidents are under investigation. The Florida Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to requests for comments regarding the situation.
Both Garcia and Griffin had informed their families about threats from other inmates before their deaths. Griffin was stabbed on March 11, while Garcia met the same fate four months later on July 3. Garcia’s mother mentioned that she was only informed of her son’s death two days after it happened, which caused her immense distress.
Attorney Wald expressed concern about the lack of information provided to the families and the slow progress in the investigations. She believes that the prison staff may have played a role in the tragic events due to being underpaid or undertrained. Wald emphasized the importance of accountability and rehabilitation in the justice system, stating that the men were not sentenced to death but faced that fate in the prison.
The lawsuits filed against the GEO Group aim to shed light on the circumstances of the men’s deaths and bring about necessary changes in the prison to prevent similar incidents in the future. Wald hopes that through these legal actions, the families can find closure and justice for the loss of their loved ones.
