I am a hostage of the California Department of Corruptions. I sent this letter out as a personal challenge to Senator Jackie Spier, Senator Gloria Romero, and Senator Bruce McPherson, concerning the abuse within these prison facilities.
I came here to California Correctional Institution on March 27, 2003. My release date was August 23, 2004. On April 8, 2003, Lt. J. Lundy threatened to plant a shank on me in order to give me more time. I wrote a complaint and I also sent a copy to a judge and an attorney to cover my butt in the event he made good on his threat. And ever since then, I've been having problems. 115's have been falsified against me to give me more time. My original date has been changed because of the retaliation and the corruption within this institution. On October 1, 2003, I was physically attacked for initiating a court action against Lt. Lundy and his subordinates. They then conspired to cover up the attack by falsifying reports.
The guards have abused their authority and stripped away my freedom to prove to me and others not to "fuck with us or we'll fuck you over." They have proven to me that they can do that. Now, can you prove to me that they can't get away with it?
I've been placed in isolation in a small cell approximately 24 hours a day with the exception of a shower and, when permitted, a dog cage outside. All because of their abuse of authority and lies. I've repeatedly asked for an Internal Affairs investigation which has repeatedly been denied. It's obvious that there's a conspiracy to cover-up misconduct by these rogue guards.
Senator Spier, you stated in the L.A. Times (January 17, 2004) that the Associate Warden of Folsom Prison asked for protection. If he's asking for protection, then what do you think I need? And others like me? I can name many incidents that can clearly show a pattern of abuse and cover-ups. For instance, there is a gentleman waiting on trial right now because of the abuse and falsified reports. There is also a disabled gentleman sitting in isolation because of falsified reports. The police here sprayed him down with tear gas all because he wanted to speak to a Sergeant because he was being denied medical attention. Guards show a lack of training and an overreaction to inflict pain because of the fact that they know they'll get away with it.
Misconduct is rarely reported and often covered-up. Many inmates are illiterate and do not know how to write a complaint and that's a big factor in the guards doing what they do. They assumed I was illiterate but now I'm a political threat because I can read and write. Illiteracy plays a big part in the abuse.
The abuse has been going on for so long that now guards feel secure and comfortable doing it. That security comes because of the fact that places like Prisoners Rights Union, Office of the Inspector general, Prison Law Office, ACLU and other places that are intended to assist us, don't. We are being abused and killed by the same people who are sworn to uphold the law. We are sent here as punishment for whatever crime we may or may not have committed but we're not sent here to be punished. Article 1 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture prohibits "physical or mental pain and/or suffering inflicted to punish." The United States Constitution 8th Amendment also prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment."
So here we are at the cross road. You speak out against the abuses. I'm trying to do something about it. My question is: what will you do about it? Pelican Bay isn't an isolated incident. The problem is within all of the institutions. The CDC is the problem. The CDC's top officials block investigations which allows them to get away with it. By failure to discipline the officers, failure to follow up on complaints, failure to investigate misconduct, failure to properly train guards, failure to fire guards when it's necessary, the CDC is a failure. So what's correct about the Department of Corrections? Nothing.
I can tell you things that go on here that will shock the conscience of mankind. I've seen dogs get treated better than we are here. Is this the intended message you want to send to the public? That there is no rehabilitation, just humiliation, torture and annihilation by ways of inhumane conditions for which people, human people, are forced to live because no one wants to do anything about it?
I will fight this for as long as I have to and do whatever it takes to see justice prevail. With or without your help, I promise you a change. Without your help, it'll take a little longer but I've learned patience, especially from being in isolation. If you could only see with your own eyes what goes on here, it would make you sick. There are people who belong here and many who don't, but no one should be abused. The abuse doesn't discriminate, though. It reaches out to who's available. Under the United States Constitution, 14th Amendment, it states in part "equal protection" for all under the law. Inside these walls, not only does an inmate suffer but so does society. A prisoner being abused carries hate and animosity with him and sooner or later, he lets it out and in turn hurts someone that doesn't deserve it. Then society asks, "Why did he do that?" You have the answer but you're ignoring it by ignoring the problem.
As law makers, you're able to change it, to correct the wrong. I'm just one voice, but I'm going to make it one loud voice. The truth does hurt but we must face it in order to make things right. A just society is a society with justice for all, not the selected few.
-- A California Prisoner, March 2004