PBSP - more on punishment for refusing to double cell

I am currently housed at Pelican Bay state prison. I arrived here in May 2005 and appeared before an all white classification committee who, without having violated any rule/regulation elected to place me on privilege group "c" (I'm an American Indian), for refusing to be double celled. As a result of being on privilege group "c", my TV set was not issued to me, it was confiscated, and I've been allowed access to a small concrete yard twice since May 25, 2005, for one hour each time. I'm not allowed access to telephone, dayroom. I'm not allowed to receive quarterly packages, not allowed to work, or attend vocational programs. Although I would be only allowed to spend $45, a quarter of the maximum amount ($180) at canteen if I went, it's always assured that "c" status prisoners get no canteen. On July 13, 2005 I was removed from my general population housing, all my property (legal materials, books, and hygiene items) were confiscated, and I was housed in the orientation/ad-seg overflow/contagious disease unit, for being on "c" status.

After being placed in that unit, I found out that there were four African Americans housed there for refusing to double cell, according to the white administrators. While housed there we were denied everything, our personal property, access to hygiene items, exercise yard, canteen, regular reading materials from library, physical access to law library, access to religious services, access to clean laundry, linen, and the opportunity to exchange it or have it laundered (washed), visits, etc. All this without having violated any rule/regulation, or being afforded all the procedural safeguards afforded to those housed in administrative segregation and SHU (security housing unit) for disciplinary reasons.

Our placement in that unit, which is more restricted and isolated than ad-seg and SHU, was the practice of an underground policy by Pelican Bay officials, as a punitive measure while circumventing all procedural safeguards, due process. On August 3, I was re-housed in general population, not out of justice, but due to officials needing my bed space to house inmates involved in a racial riot. Since July 13, 2005 until today official refuse to issue me my personal property alleging they do not know where it's at.

- a California prisoner, August 2005