During an emergency incident in IMU, procedure dictates that appropriate steps be taken to minimize the potential for other offenders to become involved in the incident. Magnetic covers are routinely placed over cell windows to prevent those offenders from acting out and becoming further involved in a specific incident involving someone else, and are only left in place for the period of time that it is necessary for staff to resolve the incident. This is authorized and effective, and there are no plans to change this practice at this time.
I appealed that madness to the next level, I was thus interviewed by the unit sergeant. He tried to explain that inmates need not witness incidents because the whole incident was being videotaped. I have been working to get the procedure changed. I have done a little research with the limited resources I have (i.e. law library). I have reviewed WDOC policy directive DOC 320.255 under IMU/Seg unit operation VIII. Visit by staff: (A) Staff assigned to an IMU/Seg unit shall conduct a cell check on an irregular schedule that is no longer than 30 minutes apart to personally observe offender. Bam! Violating their own policy.
The following incident happened approximately 12:15am 8/18/02. A serious situation occurred: seven inmates covered their windows and broke up their cells. I was asked to ride or participate but did not feel reasons were justified enough to lose all my stuff, and the things I have to do with USW [United Struggle from Within], just because a guy did not get linen exchange, but there were other underlying issues that made that the catalyst. By 5:30am they had sprayed four guys so far with O.C. gas and cell extraction (actually guys cuffed up before they came in.) Our cell windows had been covered all that time, plus water was turned off too.
Our water was off for over 12 hours, and windows covered more than 10 hours, we had not been feed for over 16 hours. The administration compromised on the rest of the group, they had never done that many extractions in one incident. We had headquarters attention. The Superintendent, Associate Superintendent, and Unit Supervisor, with extra staff, had to come in on a weekend. So we had a chance to have our issues heard.
Then on 8/19/02 at approximately 10pm one of the guys that had participated but did not get gassed destroyed his cell. They gassed him for four hours straight using a cattle prod to shock him through the door port. He finally gave up and cuffed up. He's back in the pod now, he's ok, but that shock took the fight out of him. Windows were covered 6 hours, water turned off, but not long this time, two hours.
I have written to the ACLU, they said they would document my complaint on file. We need support and protest letters, demanding that this practice be stopped immediately. Here are some names and addresses of head officials to be contacted:
Deputy of Corrections of DOC
Eldon Vail
PO Box 41118
Olympia, WA 98584-1118
Regional Administrator of DOC
Thomas Mackintyre
Office of Correctional Operations South West Region
4318 6th Ave S.E.
Olympia, WA 98504-1120
Superintendent Douglas Waddington
SCCC
191 Constantine Way
Aberdeen, WA 98502
--a prisoner in Washington, August 2002
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