Georgia Prisons

I am writing with grave concern to the health, safety, treatment and welfare of inmates at Cobb County Adult detention Center (CCADC). We have asked for assistance, placed internal grievances and other inquiry to this supplication to no avail. I hope you or someone you know can help us.

We are given soiled and stained clothes and linen. We are often without hot water. Only certain inmates get juice at lunch. The air quality/ventilation is poor, causing us to cough and sneeze, not sure what’s in the air. There is black mold in the showers (potentially cancerous). Our drinking fountain is shut off, we are forced to get drinking water from the bathroom sink where the toilets are, where people brush their teeth, blow their nose, wash their clothes and bodies. This is disgusting and black particles are in the water which leave a residue in your cup. In addition to the black mold there is fungus, mildew and bacteria in the shower.

During transport we are shackled at the ankles, waist and handcuffed with no seatbelts. Some inmates are extradited in kennel trucks for hundreds of miles. Life is jeopardized by placing inmates in wrong population and the judge stating your charges in first appearance in front of other inmates even after you stating you know your charges to keep them from being stated openly.

There are no cameras by/in the dorm to record/capture abuse by deputies and/or other inamtes. 15 to 30 minutes or more for medical or other emergency response. Wrong medicine dispensed to inmates, one had to be recessed and hospitalized. No bleach or other germ killing cleaning supplies to properly disinfect toilets, showers, etc.

There is an appearance of misappropriation of government funds. CCADC vehemently renders a regime of depraved propaganda for a profit. The leadership resistance to improve the dismal inflictive behaviors by the deputies and at least render humane treatment is utterly dispicable. The abuse is ubiquitous and they treat us as if we are detritus. Our rights, due process, equal treatment and civil rights are oppressed and violated daily. We seek an inquest and thorough probe by an outside source/entity. We seek justice. We want our civil liberties to be adhered to, we want to be treated like we are human. The harassment, the unhealthy, unsanitary, unsafe conditions and abuse must cease and desist. We need your help to expose it and correct it.

August was a long month on the tier here at Hancock State Prison. Oppression here is a very real thing. Forced to live in a tiny two men cell with another person. We shower 3 times a week which is really the only time we are taken from our cells.

We are denied our right to medical treatment which I have had to experience first hand. I broke my wrist last month and have still yet to receive any kind of treatment and expect to be given some 200mg Ibuprofin with instructions to take 3 whenever there is pain. I’ve filed a grievance waiting to see what good that does.

They say they feed us an adequate diet which is laughable. I came to the Tier progrma 93 days ago at 6’3 weighing 178lbs. I now weigh 154 lbs so I don’t know if I’m getting enough calories why am I losing so much weight. Yeah the PA couldn’t explain it either. He said I was a perfect weight for my size. That the weight I have lost was due to my not eating all the junk they sell on the store.

It’s hard here we can’t pass notes from cell to cell using string lines on Monday - Friday between the hours of 5am until 5pm. We are forced to talk through vents to neighbors on either side of us if we wish to communicate with anyone other than the guy in the cell with us. We’re supposed to be given indigent supplies once a week but it’s more like every other week and if you’re asleep when they come in or in the shower your screwed til the next time they pass them out.

It’s started to cool off here some thankfully. This building has no AC. The only ventilation we get is from the small meshed over window. Altogether conditions here are deplorable. I struggle on from day to day because I refuse to be beaten by this system. I study any and all law work or literature I am able to get my hands on.

I am a prisoner in the State of Georgia that seeks to enforce the civil rights of all human beings and of all ethnic groups. I have attempted to bring an inhuman living conditions case against the prison system and on the behalf of all similarly situated. The complaint is set out below.

Sir, it is clear after presenting these issues to two courts and the Attorney General of Georgia that these officials do not care that the lives of many are in grave danger.

We are seeking the assistance of your office. The name and address of the prison, Attorney General, and the federal judge is listed at the end of this communique.

Shocking Inhuman history of prison conditions case

On July 10, 2016, Plaintiff, Robert F. Smith, submitted for filing his 42 U.S.C. 1983 Civil Rights complaint wherein he demonstrated with documentary evidence that some forty thousand (40,000) individual human beings from all ethnic groups were being subjected to inhuman and barbaric living conditions.

Smith further demonstrated that many of the individual human beings from all ethic groups were being denied the mandated protection of prison authority from the attacks of certain gang affiliated inmates. That the individuals from all ethic groups in which requested from prison authority the protection from certain affiliated gang members were then punished by, and are still being punished, prison authority by placement in a mandatory nine months lockdown disciplinary program wherein all inmate personal property and store privileges have been taken.

Smith’s complaint named as Plaintiffs David Cordova, and all others similarly situated. Said complaint was filed in the Middle District Federal Court in Macon, Georgia, on July 13, 2016.

On August 18, 2016, Federal Judge Marc T. Treadwell dismissed Smith’s civil rights complaint in its entirety on the premise that the plaintiffs could not joint together in a single action.

Smith’s complaint further demonstrated that every single standard operating procedure written to govern the running of the prison was not being adhered to, that because said SOPs were not being followed by prison authority, many many individuals from all ethnic groups constitutional rights were being violated, i.e.
Right to be free from physical abuse
Right to due process
Right to equal protection
Right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment

Smith further presented the failure of prison authority to follow their standard operating procedures to the state court as required in the form of an extra ordinary emergency of writ of mandamus, as of date that action is being held up by the state courts with nothing having been brought before same and having been ruled on.

Prison authority have minimized the ventilation in each inmate cell dramatically by placing iron metal plates over each and every ventilation duct and throughout the entire prison.

The obstruction of ventilation by the iron metal plates combined with heat places us human beings in a substantial risk of deceases such as tuberculosis as well as:
1. Most of the time it feels as if one’s chest is heavily burdened with a huge amount of weight due to the lack of clean air.
2. Severe burning sensation in chest with mild to severe dizziness.
3. Tingling sensation in ones limbs from a lack of oxygen in ones body.

When the plaintiff stand with their nose stuck directly into the 4 by 21 inch window opening, the conditions start to subside.

HEAT

Due to the rooms being so closed up with no ventilation and a very small window opening between say 4:00 hours and 13:00 hours the temperatures are between 85 to 95 degrees. Between 13:00 and 19:00 hours the temperatures reach between 95 to 105, maybe 110 because the sun makes direct contact with the back side of rooms. Plaintiffs suffers the following list of health problems: 1. headaches, 2. nausea, 3. loss of appetite, 4. loss of weight, 5. severe inability to sleep on plastic mattresses, or 6. to breath at time. See Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. I, II, III, V, VI, VII, VII, X, XII, XVII(2), XXV(1)

Marc T. Treadwell
U.S. Federal Judge
U.S. District Court
Office of the Clerk
PO Box 128
Macon, GA 31202

Since 2011 GA DOC has declared war against all prisoners validated “Goodfella.” As a whole all priosoners validated Goodfella have been held on lockdown at all prisons in GA for an altercation that happened between Goodfella and Bloods. While on this never ending lockdown DOC started what they call the “Tier” program which is a lockdown program for disciplinary inmates. All prisoners validated Goodfella were automatically placed on this progra, which is supposed to be a 9 month program. Then prisoners get placed back into population. The program was originally a 3 phase program. Prison officials implemented what they call a “3 plus” phase just for all members of Goodfella to keep us locked down as I write this we are still locked down and on this program.

While on this program we are stripped of all rights, property, liberty and subjected to inhumane conditions. We’re degraded, treated like animals, denied proper adequate medical and law library. We locked in a prison cell 24 hours a day. Officers and prison officials constantly oppress and suppress us. We’re not allowed vocational programs, education classes, job training or job enhancing skills. Newspapers, books, raidios, TV or nothing to help us to grow mentally and help us transiton back into society. So basically our brothers are leaving prison the same way they came in or worse. Nothing rehabilitative comes from this program. It’s designed to break us mentally so they can control us like robots.

Since this program started look at the suicide rate and attempts in GA prison system. They don’t care about the psychological trauma stemming form this oppression, suppression and repression that’s elading to depression.

Myself as well as many other gang members have attempted to bring peace amongst our different gangs or organizations but now DOC scared to let us out for fear we going to unite with other gangs or organizations against the officers.

We’ve attempted to bring unity while back here on lockdown but brothers are scared and some still on some lil boy story and holding grudges. I went to the door last week and asked did anyone know who Bobby Seale, Fred Hampton, Huey P, Marc Clark, George Jackson and many other Black revolutionaries were. They knew one or two but no one knew everyone I ask them about. Then I ask about Bobby Hutton. Geronimo Pratt, Mutulu Shakur Al-Amin and got the same result and immediately I know the problem: our youth lack proper education. The history book only teach white history and slavery side of black history in the south.

Around 90% of inamtes released off tier program into society either start a life of crime and be in and out of jail, return to prison, do nothing productive with their lives or get killed. Why is that when this supposed to be a “therapeutic” program designed to rehabilitate and change our way of thinking? I’ll tell you why, because the tier is being used to break us mentally so they can control us. We being oppressed daily. We being stripped of all rights and forced to endure degrading inhumane conditions. And people wonder why Georgia recidivism rate so high. It’s because prisoners not being allowed to pursue an education, get trades or job enhancing skills so our comrades getting out the same way they came in or worse. Keep a man locked in a 2 man cell 24 hours a day for years. Forcing us to accept the small amounts of food on trays. Forcuing us to smell another man feces. Forcing us to live in inclement conditions. Forcing us to endure weather so hot if you move you sweat. How can a person be rehabilitated in this type of atmosphere. They can’t they not trying to. That’s their plan to either break us mentally or force us into withdrawl or depression where we lash out agressively.

Nothing positive come from this program. Look at how many prisoners have turend to mental health to try to relieve the mental pain being administered by prison officials oppressive program.

I’m writing your organization in hopes of raising awareness of my situation. On the date of 9-3-15, I was a inmate at Smith State Prison, where I was assaulted viciously by Derrius Attical; a member of the Cert Team. Somewhere in between the hours of 3 & 5’ oclock pm the Cert Team came to H-2, a lock down-segregation unit, with new arrivals. Somehow or another, Cert Team member D. Attical found reason to obtain the keys from the dormitory floor officer to gain access to my room. When the door came open, I was closer to the door than my bunkmate, who was sitting up-right on his bottom bunk. We were both sprayed with pepper spray none the less, but I was beat badly. I think he hit me with the bottom of the pepper spray can, but can not be certain. I & my room mate were temporarily blinded by pepper spray.

When all was said & done, I was covered in my own blood from head to toe, literally. I was escorted to medical by the Cert Team, & sent to the free world hospital, where I received stitches on my right eye brawl, & eye lid; & the left top corner of my upper lip. In total, I received what I think was 8 stitches. But it didn’t stop there. As expected I filed my grievance, & awaited disciplinary court, but on the date 9-11-15, exactly 8 days later, I was assaulted again!

On 9-11-15, about 4 something in the early morning, Lieutenant Witfield came to my new cell with a few others & a paint ball gun. They woke me out of my sleep, instructing me to cuff up, & I complied. I was then instructed to get on my knees, & I complied. From there I was pushed on my stomach. I laid there & listened, though the Lieutenant was being very unprofessional and belligerent. As he insulted me, he poked me in the face with the pepper ball gun. Still I remained silent. Some how the lieutenant felt disrespected. He quickly stood from where he once squatted & stomped on the back of my head, causing my chin to slam into the floor & split on contact.

The entire time, a female officer held the camera. I doubt that it was actually recording because of the conduct that the Lieutenant displayed, & the fact that once he was done she causally placed the camera to her side without stopping it from recording. I know this because I was waiting for her to. (Note that I received more stitches 9-11-15)

As I did the first time, I filed my grievance, & awaited to go to disciplinary court, although I did not receive a disciplinary report that time, I had still not been to D.R. Court for the incident on 9-3-15. The day I went to disciplinary investigation, I was acquitted of all charges. But for some strange reason I was forced into a program called Tier II & denied parole, which was set for 9-30-15. I was submitted into the Tier II program for “Assaultive History,” which is 1 of 13 reasons a inmate can be subjected to such a thing. This is ironic because I have never been convicted of such a thing. I have been accuse of 4 or 5 different occasions, but I have never been convicted of a violent D.R.

Due to the presumption of innocence, every man is considered innocent until proven guilty in the court of law, & to violate such a thing is to violate a man’s Due Process rights. I have hired an attorney on a contingency basis to represent me & my claims against the state, but America needs to be aware of the adversity the prison population endures.

I am just one of many. Throughout my 8 year prison term I have been a witness to many atrocious acts committed by those in authority of me. Many prisoners are not fortunate enough to have outside help and still, many are under educated, & lack the literacy skill to address such dynamic ploys. In conclusion, I hope that your org. is willing to help my raise awareness. I honestly believe that bringing attention to such evil & tyrannical people will halt such violence. Thank you for your time.

I just read an article in ULK (Jul./Aug. 2016). On page #14 <a href “https://www.prisoncensorship.info/article/overcome-censorship-on-tier-program/”>Overcome Censorship on TIER Program. I am currently housed at one of the prisons that has this so-called “program.” We have nearly 800 inmates locked away there now. Some have been there for years. I myself transferred to court recently, & upon coming back here, they placed me in “TIER I” for 2 weeks before I went back to general Pop. For “security purposes”… It’s torture!

The toilets are flushed by the C.O.s outside, & often times the stagnant waste sits in the bowl for hours. The food portions are never what they’re supposed to be. The C.O.s are often nowhere to be found, & don’t do their rounds consistently. If I had suffered a real life-threatening emergency, I wouldn’t be here now & I was only in there for 2 weeks! I shudder to think of all the inmates struggling to survive in those conditions

With that written, I’d like to get pro-active & do all I can. Even in general pop., we’re having issues with not receiving our mail in its entirety. Books must be approved by the institution in order to be received by prisoners (according to S.O.P.). However, completed forms never get returned, & so we’re denied the opportunity for new books. We hardly get the chance to visit the prison “library” due to “lack of staff” or “security purposes”.

Our grievance system is a joke. They must be handed personally to a counselor within a 10 day span of writing it, but the counselors do not visit the dorms regularly. When the grievances do get filed, it takes months for a response & the responses are ridiculous. So, I’m interested in the Censorship Pack, if you could possible send it. But what I REALLY need from you is the petition for the unanswered grievances (for the State of Georgia). I’d appreciate as many copies a you can offer, as this facility does not make personal copies for inmates. I will most definitely update the campaign of any progress I can make.

Today I’m writing in hopes of somebody in you all’s organization to be of some kind of assistance concerning a few issues. As we both know I’m in a rather oppressed state and very racial as well, so therefore please understand that the majority of prisoners locked up are “locked up” mental wise. Now my issues are concerning, 1st the grievance procedure: Once I file a very important grievance with one or two witness statements by other inmates that live around me, it either gets lost or comes back late every time stating “insufficient evidence” ten times out of ten. There has to be a next step to take.

Here is the last major grievance I filed. I’m in Highmax/Tier 3 program on 23 hour lockdown and two COs were serving dinner trays. These COs are two cells away from me when an inmate throws feces out on both officers. They yell at him and call him a nigger, yes the COs both are white and even give him a DR for his actions. The worst part was they continued to serve trays. Me and the man next door to me didn’t know what was going on until we got our trays, and then ol’ boy said hey don’t eat the trays I shit those bitches down! So I get on the door make noise to get the officers attention because I get served last, I was in the last cell and haven’t ate none of my tray. My next door neighbor say what! So anyways we did not eat that night and we both filed a grievance and statement for each other. Nothing happened!

40 something days later a counselor came to my door and said “insufficient evidence”! There’s cams everywhere in this prison so ol’ boy got a DR plus common sense he lived in the cell before me, I get fed last. Now I have not filed many grievances since I’ve been incarcerated and the ones I have filed always get overlooked, lost, or I don’t have enough evidence for it to be investigated. There has to be some next step to force these people to stop hiding what prisoners do complain about. We are in a double whammy here at this prison, one minute it’s you’re in the program, the next its you’re on Highmax, right now there is prisoners who don’t get yard call “fresh air” 1 hour a day.

I’ve been arbitrarily placed on the Tier II program without any justification other than it being a retaliatory action by GA dept of kkkorections. It seems now that my former cellmate was/is working for this prison administration and framed me by placing a pillow filled with contraband on my bed while the kkkorections emergency response team was escorting me to the showers for shakedown. His loose lips were overheard telling a prisoner that it was a good thing that I was out the way.

Anyway I appealed the write up and the warden/superintendent response stated “Ownership of the pillow and contraband was irrelevant.” Even after my former cellmate admitted that said pillow and cell phones belonged to him and wrote three “sworn statements” to prove his point. I don’t know where in Amerikkka such an action could take place other than Georgia, so now I’m on the tier program for a slime-retaliatory action by these prisoncrats and their slaves.

All I’ve done since I been at this kkkamp is to educate and give these slaves some positive for their minds and souls. Every ULK I got I passed it along, every Bayview I get I pass it along and wherever I can be of help in building a movement I’m there. Anyway I’ve filed 2 grievances. One for retaliation and one for false imprisonment which I’ve received no response from as to date (one was filed 3/28/2016 and the other 4/8/2016). My attorney is working on this situation but these actions stem from the prison strike of 2010, as they were doing the Tier II placement hearing. Lt Bivens stated or cited my participation in a disturbance Dec 31st 2010 which I never received a write up for and which free world charges were sought by the DOC and dismissed 2013. So it’s clear what this is all about. Anyway I’ve enclosed 10 stamps as a small donation to MIM and will contribute more when I can.

I’ve read some of your older newsletters. I’m currently stuck in the Tier II program. Upon me first entering the prison system I didn’t think they would even consider letting something such as the Tier program exist. I know for a fact that people on the outside treat animals better than we are being treated. I currently live in a one man cell that’s infested with spiders, molded vents and rusted sinks that we have to use for drinking water. My living conditions are the reason my attitude has become so angry at everything that moves. It’s a mind changing theory.

I’ve accomplished one of my short-term goals with the help of MIM(Prisons). I received your censorship pack on the situation that these pigs was holding my mail, from y’all and some of my family. Once I read the censorship pack I immediately put it in effect with grievances stating S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedures) and case laws. Once the administration received my paperwork with the “example of proof and service,” that next day I received a bulk of mail from October and also Under Lock & Key issues.

Once that was successful, I gave my fellow comrades the game. Now I’m willing to see what else we can accomplish on this Tier II in order to make our time a little better. As I tell my fellow comrades, we need to educate ourselves to overcome our situation. With the structure of the United Front; principles of peace, UNITY, growth, internationalism, and independence. I’m still trying to learn so I will be able to lead correctly.

With this letter is a donation of 10 stamps. If I had more I’d give more, because I salute what MIM(Prisons) stands for. With that said our strive will continue. And the oppressor will not be able to mentally destroy any more.

P.S. Salute to the Black Panther Party 50 year commemoration. They paved the way!!

MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade is providing an excellent example and leadership organizing against abuse and censorship in the Georgia Tier program. The state is trying to alienate people from each other, cause extreme psychological damage, and use it as a tool to repress any upliftment and organizing. But we do not have to lie down and just take it. As this comrade demonstrates, we can still come together to fight specific injustices, and use that work to build with others. We look forward to seeing this comrade’s work grow and contribute to the United Front for Peace in Prisons.