Incarcerated prison reform advocate Kenneth Shaun Traywick, also known as Swift Justice, is currently on day four of an ongoing hunger strike at Bullock Correctional Facility. According to the nonprofit Unheard Voices of the Concrete Jungle, UVOTCJ—which Traywick helped cofound in 2017—the strike comes in response to an alleged incident in which an ADOC correctional officer assaulted Traywick late last week.
Per UVOTCJ, at around 8:45 a.m. on the morning of Thursday, November 20, one “Officer Glover” pepper sprayed Traywick from behind, reportedly in retaliation for Traywick’s advocacy on behalf of his fellow incarcerated individuals. The organization also said that other witnesses have confirmed that the same officer has displayed an “ongoing pattern of violence and threats toward inmates, including one recent assault on inmate Michael Rowser.”
In a statement provided to APR, an ADOC spokesperson confirmed that a disciplinary incident had occurred in which Traywick “failed to obey a direct order resulting in an administration of chemical spray to the face.” According to the spokesperson, Traywick was then “contained and escorted to the Health Care Unit for assessment and decontamination.”
This latest incident led Traywick to begin his hunger strike in which he is demanding that ADOC staff immediately cease their retaliation against outspoken prisoners like himself, that he be transferred to a facility where his safety is ensured, and that a full investigation into “Officer Glover’s conduct and ADOC’s failure to act” be carried out.
UVOTCJ stressed that Traywick’s strike is not a mental health crisis or suicide attempt, but a “peaceful act of resistance demanding accountability and human rights.”
Since beginning the strike, Traywick has received two additional disciplinary reports and a citation, been placed on phone restriction, and had his communication and legal access further limited according to UVOTCJ. The organization stated that these restrictions have impacted Traywick’s ability to work on his open legal cases in which Traywick is representing himself pro se.
“The denial of welfare checks, threats of new disciplinary charges, and refusal to follow internal authorization procedures represent an alarming pattern of retaliation and information suppression,” UVOTCJ said in an official statement. “We are calling for immediate transparency and oversight in this situation.”
The organization also reported that ADOC has denied Traywick’s wife, Dr. Elizabeth Traywick, several requests for welfare checks on her husband since his hunger strike began. ADOC contested that report in their statement to APR, stating that Constituent Services had not received any requests for information or a welfare check from Traywick’s family. The ADOC spokesperson also stated that Traywick’s hunger strike is being observed with regular welfare checks from staff.
UVOTCJ is also requesting further explanation from ADOC regarding an alleged accusation that Traywick is in possession of a contraband phone, further clarification regarding ADOC policies on disclosing inmates’ health status to family members, and the restoration of Traywick’s communication and legal access.
Traywick is currently serving a 25-year sentence after being convicted on charges of first-degree robbery and first-degree sodomy in 2009. He has maintained that he is innocent and was wrongfully convicted, becoming an advocate for prison reform in Alabama—including by writing several opinion pieces published by APR. The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Traywick’s latest parole application in June of 2024, with his next parole hearing set for 2029.
