I am a three striker inmate housed at High Desert State Prison in California. On April 14, 2005, while on lockdown “due to rumors of inmates planning attacks on officials,” my cellie and I were taken out of our cell in handcuffs and slammed to the floor by officers. On that day, before shift change, I was doing my weekly cell cleaning. As always, since we were on lockdown, I had some reading books and educational books I didn’t want to throw away. So I put them neatly in plastic bags and slid them under my door because usually the officers would pick them up and put them on the podium so others could read.
Well, this one officer (a regular) came to work with a major attitude. He was getting smart with inmates, cursing them out because they’re asking him simple questions. Well, he came to my cell, started shouting, saying “why the fuck are you throwing shit on my tier." I tried to explain that those were books I bagged up so others can read. He left, and came back, told me and my cellie to cuff up. We cuffed-up and were escorted to the office. All the while he’s snatching and jerking me in every direction. While in the office, he’s cursing us out, calling us all types of bitches. I then stated that I’m done with the conversation, either I be placed back in my cell or I go speak with the sergeant.
He got in my face, so knowing I was cuffed up, I backed up cause I see where this is going. He then snatched me by the arm, and slams me into the side office window.
I stated loudly so others could hear me "what do you want me to do?" because I see he's trying to provoke me. He said "I want you to face the fucking window and shut the fuck up." He then snatched me off the window by my neck and slammed me on the floor. The other officer then slammed my cellie to the floor. The alarm was finally hit, and other officers came in and escorted my cellie and I to the program office where we were placed in a cage for a few hours while we were being written up for resisting staff.
I tried to explain to the lieutenant that if I wanted to resist, I would never have agreed to be handcuffed in the first place. The officer that slammed me to the ground lied, saying that I was cursing him out, trying to incite others, and I resisted him.
My cellie and I were moved to another building, two weeks after that, we were moved to another yard which is a level IV. We both received a write up so they couldn’t take any credits, but I was still found guilty and was given 6 points. My cellie's write-up was dropped to disobeying a direct order.
Now get a load of this, the same officer that slammed me on the floor, is now working as a regular on this yard. Every time I come in off the yard or we’re going and coming from dinner, he's standing in my building just starting at me. I always see him whispering to other officers and they watch me. I feel very uncomfortable and don’t trust him.
There are a lot of inmates who are being mistreated by staff, and are being charged with assault and resisting staff. When inmates complain, nothing is being done. I always ask myself "who are the real criminals?"
- a California prisoner, October 2005