Demarcus Fernando Harrison

Note: The unhealthy conditions allowed to persist in prisons not only exact a devastating toll on mental and physical wellbeing, but create and heighten tensions inside. We deplore current conditions inside Alabama prisons, and the violence that led to the untimely death of Demarcus Fernando Harrison, a beloved community member. 

Photograph of Demarcus, obtained from his obituary.

Demarcus Fernando Harrison, affectionately known as “Mr Entertainment,” could bring a smile to anyone’s face. Though he enjoyed many hobbies, such as fishing and sports, his real passion was music. His talents as a rap and R&B performer earned him his nickname and were another source of the smiles he made and shared. 

Born August 13, 1974 in Florence, Alabama, Demarcus was a loving son to his mother Cecelia Eady and his late father Larry Darnell Thompson; and a caring father to his son Emerial. He had five siblings, numerous aunts and uncles, and almost two dozen nieces and nephews who shared in his music, energy, and spirit. 

This large, vibrant family lost one of its bright lights on September 29, 2020, when Demarcus died. Just 46 years old, Demarcus was killed by another individual who, like him, was incarcerated at Fountain Correctional Facility in Alabama, according to prison officials. While the Alabama Department of Corrections has not confirmed the exact cause of death, a recent press report noted that it resulted from a physical assault inflicted on Demarcus. 

According to the ADOC, eight incarcerated people were killed inside Alabama state facilities in the first seven months of 2020. Demarcus’s tragic death provides a reminder that long before the devastating onset of Covid, many prisons in the United States were already failing miserably in their duty of care to protect the men and women living inside from injury and harm. The deaths of those living and working in prisons during the pandemic are tragic whether from Covid or, like Demarcus, other causes. We are deeply saddened by the lack of protection afforded those who are unable to protect themselves, especially when it results in death. We stand with the rich tapestry of friends and family that mourn the death of Demarcus — a beloved son and father, brother and uncle, nephew and friend. 

This memorial was written by MOL team member Cecile Ramin with information from reporting by Melissa Brown of the Montgomery Advertiser , Carol Robinson of AL.com  and his obituary from Trinity Memorial Funeral Homes.