Prisoner Bill of Rights
American jails and prisons need more citizen oversight. I will provide you with a letter that a friend sent me. He asked me to forward it to his wife. He describes some of the conditions that he has to endure:
Pretty Please with honey on top, may I have some pics of our children. I haven't seen them since last years Christmas present unwrapping. I haven't seen Vaydyn with his glasses, or birthdays, or anything, and I didn't do anything to deserve that. Ive tried to remain in contact, tried to be a part of their lives, which you've chosen to deny me for some reason.I never sent any angry messages, I don't know how many times I have to profess my innocence to you, but I never sent a single angry message or letter. Ive done all I can to cope with you abandoning me without any just cause, supposedly cuz I'm not worth you wasting your life for, despite you repeatedly assuring me you all loved me to the moon and back, always will be there for me, and will write me. Seems the only time you want to write is to tell me off, for something I have no control over. My day to day is always different, like today, I had 8:20am-9:20am small yard, which has 4 phones for 50 guys, 1 for bloods, 1 for GDs, 1 for Vicelords, and 1 for Muslims. When 50 guys are trying to call whoever for 15mins, I don't get a phone in the hour we're out. Then we have 6:20-7:20pm dayroom, which has 2 phones for A-side, and 2 for B-side, again, gang controlled, where same ones ALWAYS get on phone, while others who are white and not affiliated (10% or less) don't get on. There is 1 j-pay on each side, where, again, 25 guys want to plug up, and so brothers get all the time, cuz theyre selfish and don't care about guys like me. Then we had 8:40-9:40pm Honor yard (small yard again) where those who are 6mos ticket free get an extra yard. Despite only about 20 guys being out there, I rarely get on the phone, like tonite, where I got 7mins at the end of yard AFTER all others went, some even got 2or3 calls. I have Big Yard tomorrow from 9:30-10:30am where I sometimes get a phone cuz 8 of the 30 phones are for nonaffiliated, but theres 100 guys, most who are gang members and try to grab the neutron phones cuz then they can 'ride' it, when their gang members won't let them ride theirs. IF my cell gets popped 1st, which is very rare, I may be able to walk fast enuff to get 1 of those 8 phones, and saddened when no one Id love to talk to answers. Next is 2:30-3:30pm either small yard or dayroom, and then 7:30-8:30pm which ever we don't have earlier. The next day is 8:20am dayroom, 6:20-7:20pm small yard, and 8:40-9:40pm honor dayroom, again, same as before, where I rarely get a phone or jpay. I can sometimes buy a phone for $5 for 5mins, and can pay someone $3 to plug up my j-pay, but I can't afford to do that regularly. Ive barely talked to ANYONE in past yr, but got to at least tell my dad I loved him the day before he died, and have talked to Russ twice when he was in hospital, and once since his release. I talked to my brother Randy when my dad died, cuz they made a special arrangement for me. Ive talked to Rick the most, about a dozen times, when I can't reach you or kids. Ive called you 1st MOST times, hoping today may be the day you realize you still love me, and may want to make my year by talking to me. Ive cried so many tears for you, for Vaydyn, for Aydriana, cuz I miss you so much it hurts. I don't know what to say to convince you how much I love you all, or to get you to see you're torturing me for no good reason. Maybe my suffering eases yours, I don't know, but it hurts me so much to have you ignore me, refuse to write except when angry, and deny me a call with kids. Even IF I couldve called Vaydyn back when he accidently hung up, the phone system is set up to force ppl to wait 15mims between calls, to keep ppl from riding phones. Doesn't werk cuz the gangbangers sell their pins to their boys, and can bypass the wait period. I'm not as fortunate. I'm a small fish in a very dangerous pond, and am living a FAR worse existence then Jacob did, so please quit trying to compare his experience with mine. He was Level 1, out all day, I'm locked up most the day, and when I'm out, its for an hr at a time, with 50 or 100 others who think theyre more important than me. My wife and kids don't matter to them, never will. I'm just trying to avoid getting in trouble, while I wait o be moved to level2, which I'm ONLY still here allegedly due to 'Bed Space' is what it says on my reclassification. I have 10pts, which is level2, but can't ride out. Ive had 1 ticket in the year Ive been here, for not being on my bunk at count time, something they didnt announce, so impossible for me to know. I didn't get any warnings, or any counseling, or even a minor ticket (class 3) they went for the jugular and wrote highest ticket possible, because, just like in quarantine, the COs are afraid of the blacks who group up right away and have each others backs, and so they prey on the whites who have no backup. My 5tickets in quarantine were the weakest crap imaginable, yet maximized to highest possible level. I haven't done anything wrong, been on my best behavior, and had 2 incidents that staff maximized to punish me for nothing. A mask someone else drew on, and a toilet paper cardboard in door jam to quiet the slamming of the door. This is why I'm in level 4, and can't get out. This is why I'm suffering the worst possible sentence imaginable, and then compounded by your refusal to talk to me, refusal to let me tlk to kids for 6mos, and refusal to even send me a pic of my son wearing glasses, or my daughter's smiling face on her birthday. Or Vaydyns. Or ANYTHING like their costumes, or summertime, or 1st day of school. I don't deserve your cruelty. Ive been the best man you've ever known, and made a life for us you only could've dreamed of. Life has pitfalls, and when it was good, you were happy, and loved it. Kota dying ended your happiness, and then the bullshit with bill Witt and that fkn prosecutor, and unjust judges have ruined what we had. I wish you would talk to me. I'll always love you and kids XOXOXO 4ev
(from Rick) Investigate all aspects of Prisoner victimization.
Communications:
Pay:
Unacceptable bedding:
Basic Hygiene:
Access to effective law references and instruction.
Unnecessary punitive conditions:
Should Prisoners retain constitutional protections?
Is restorative justice more effective and more efficient?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice#In_prisons
Does taking $1,300 from prisoners $1,350 of covid stimulus payment teach a prisoner that life is all about victimizing? I put $50 on Hal Stickney's account, and they took all but $5 for court costs.