Yandy Smith Details ‘Inhumane’ Conditions At Detention Center After Breonna Taylor Arrest: The Amount Of Humiliation Is Crazy

Yandy Smith Details ‘Inhumane’ Conditions At Detention Center After Breonna Taylor Arrest: The Amount Of Humiliation Is Crazy

Yandy Smith has been arrested twice in the last couple of months as she protests the death of Breonna Taylor and calls for the arrests of the officers involved in the shooting that took her life.

Back in July, Yandy Smith and her fellow reality star friend Porsha Williams were spotted getting arrested during a protest in front of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home.

Over 100 people arrested including #tamikamallory porshawilliams yandysmith & more while protesting for #breonnataylor. They protested at attorney general #danieljaycameron’s home. Visit #untilfreedom 2 donate to emergency bail fund. @TamikaDMallory @yandysmith @Porsha4real pic.twitter.com/SWNWV2Zyb0

— theJasmineBRAND (@thejasminebrand) July 14, 2020

Then last month, she and Porsha Williams were arrested again during a “Day of Action” march in Louisville, organized by Until Freedom.

Yandy Smith tells Page Six that she Porsha Williams were together at the protest before getting taken into custody.

“We were sitting right next to each other with locked arms. And we were both so afraid, but so empowered and feeling courageous.”

While she said the protesters were told to remain peaceful, she added that officers “aggressively” pushed them back which sparked even more issues between police and protesters.

“We knew at that point we were going to be detained. But that’s when I’m like, ‘Well, I’m going to stand up.’ I did not know if they were going to start pepper-spraying. If they are going to do anything, they’re not going to do it to me on my back.”

Yandy Smith, Porsha Williams

She added that she and other protesters weren’t warned of an arrest, but instead were taken to a paddywagon to relocate them to the local detention center.

“A lot of us were claustrophobic…When you’re in that van, it was so incredibly hot you would not be able to survive with your mask on.”

One of Yandy Smith’s phones was confiscated when they arrived at the detention center, but she had a second phone that she used to show what was going on.

“I wanted to document as much as possible what was happening so people could see we are peacefully protesting while the murderers of this young woman are going to work. They’re living their lives on vacations, while us that are trying to get justice for her and are not breaking the law are getting arrested.”

She then spoke on the conditions inside the jail and said:

“The amount of humiliation is crazy. The bathroom is just completely disgusting, like feces on the toilet. Feces on the floor. You would think there was a puddle of water, but it was urine.”

She said there was one toilet that all 40 women who were also being held had to share. She continued:

“They gave us blankets when we checked in. We would hold the blanket in the cell for women that had to use the bathroom.”

But some of them didn’t want to touch the blankets after being told about a bed bug outbreak at the facility.

“If we touched it, we could be possibly bringing it back to our home. I don’t want to even take the risk of infecting my children because of the inhumane conditions that’s going on there right now.”

“We took care of each other. We laid on each other’s laps. I initiated a charades game. It was truly a moment of let’s create peace. Let’s create a unified sisterhood that’s going to keep everyone calm.”

The Louisville Metro Department of Corrections assistant director Steve Durham denied Yandy Smith’s claims:

“We clean and sanitize with bleach before the housing unit is occupied, but that when the space gets filled, it can get dirty from occupant use. When we hear those comments about cleanliness, health care, or conditions of confinement, we inspect what those claims and where warranted we work to improve. Turning a concrete and steel housing unit into a comfortable setting won’t happen and like all the housing units in the jail, the detainees have to work with us to help keep their space clean.”

What are your thoughts on what Yandy Smith experienced? Comment and let us know.