Recently I received MIM Notes of March 1, 2005 and I found the letters in Under Lock and Key quite interesting and want to comment on a couple of items. First is that I can relate to what the prisoner from Lancaster wrote, since I've been here for the last five years. I've noticed that two embezzling scandals here weren't mentioned by "mainstream" media. I could go on and on about this place, but I fear this prison isn't any different from the others. What really caught my eye was the item about prisoner abuse at Corcoran Prison's SHU unit. I too am aware of the guards' abuse there. My former brother-in-law was a guard there and used to brag of mistreating prisoners. He was one of the SHU guards until 1998, he approved of the "Gladiator Fights" he and his co-workers forced prisoners into.
Why am I in prison? For killing him. He thought he could do as he pleased without penalty, I came home unexpectedly and interrupted him burglarizing my home. As I held him at gunpoint he made an attempt to take my gun and his reign of terror was put to an end. Much to my surprise the county of Kings owes much to the state, since the three prisons there provide much money. I had to fight against my own appointed lawyer (to no avail) and after my state appeal failed, I discovered much testimony was missing from my transcripts.
My brother-in-law took my ex-wife along to make the burglary look legitimate (I was in the process of moving out of state). She testified she wanted nothing to do with it but was coerced to go along. All her testimony concerning this is not in the transcripts! The court reporter was married to the detective on my case, it's a hick town. My ex-wife once worked at this very courthouse, the judge said it wasn't a reason to have a change of venue. He claimed he couldn't remember her, even though he used to give her gifts! My lawyer refused to call witnesses on my behalf so I wrote a letter requesting a new lawyer. The hearing was so sudden that it was a secret from my family and press alike. The judge ruled that my lawyer didn't have to call witnesses on my behalf and I could appeal his decision…later. All of this and that letter itself is missing from the transcripts too.
There's so much more to this farce of justice, the final insult was at my sentencing when the judge said I had "been totally lawless since 1991." Since 1991 and the time of my defending myself, seven years, I had one run-in with the law, an unbuckled seatbelt in 1991!
Naturally that last comment is also gone, it was just for show for the guards who were spectators in court. That's the way things work now, prison administration is a lucrative business. Peace of mind comes form knowing that dirt bag will never harm a citizen again. It also comes from knowing MIM is a watchdog giving a voice to the seemingly voiceless.
- a California prisoner, April 2005