Letters and E-mail to Robert
Presley
California Youth & Adult
Correctional Agency
October 29, 2002
Robert Presley, Agency Secretary
Re: Practice of Lockdowns Dear Mr. Presley: I see from the information posted on the Agency Website, that you were the State Senator from Riverside, from the years 1974-1994. I lived in Riverside in the La Sierra area from 1975 to 1980. So you were my State Senator for those years, but I was not involved in politics during this time period. For the last few years I have been working with Cayenne Bird, and her organization of U.N.I.O.N. [United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect.] I am not a family member of anyone in prison, I got involved through a friend and started writing to prisoner Jerry Wayne Morgan. Through this I have learned first hand what an evil practice Lockdowns have on prisoners, this practice is dehumanizing, tortures, psychological abuse, and the end result after years on lockdown is a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Lockdowns are a serious problem where the whole prison is locked down for what a handful of prisoners have done. Why are not the guilty prisoners punished, after due process of course? Why are the innocents punished for what others may or may not have done, as many times lockdown starts over a rumor heard by guards? [Is the motive more overtime?] Mr. Morgan was in state prison for about four years, and at least 80% of that time he was on lockdown. Bonnie Kerness states in her very fine document, the following: "PICTURE LIVING IN A CAGE the size of your bathroom, with tiers of single cages above, below, and to either side. You remain in this cage nearly 24 hours a day, day in and day out, year in and year out." We treat animals in a zoo better than these prisoners are being treated, as even the food is substandard and of low nutritional value. Then they are deprived of everything to have something to take up the time, as there is no television, and many times everything is taken away from them including their Bible. This practice must be stopped immediately, as the psychological damage is so great, which I would include the guards that treat the prisoners this way as also being damaged psychologically. The mental breakdown is severe and there is no real treatment, except to offer mind numbing drugs instead of stimulation of the mind by educational opportunities and just a change of scene, as in some sun and exercise in good air. This should be done in small groups that get along with each other, for the bad actors they should have a small yard by themselves. After World War II I remember how horrible was the news about the treatment of the Jews and others in Nazi Germany, and I am discovering that the very same treatment is going on in the California Prison and Jail system, with the punitive violence, constant strip searches when they just came out of a strip search, all done to degrade and dehumanize the prisoners. A man just last week committed suicide in Oregon, rather than be brought back to California and receive the sentence of the possible hopeless Three Strikes conviction. I have gathered letters and other information and placed it on the U.N.I.O.N. Website at this address: http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/parliament/2398/lockdown_index.htm I also have my own Website [see below], where I have writings of Prisoners and Joel Brown and Tom Watson who tell their stories, and Tom is an outstanding writer and reports the stories from the inside. He has written on the issue of Lockdowns, retaliation and retribution, and are certainly worth the read. Also on both Websites you will find information on Jerry Wayne Morgan, and the document "In The Hole," is about his being in the hole here in Shasta County Jail and being beaten. While he was at High Desert there was an attempted murder [set up by guards,] and he showed me the scar on his left jaw where the homemade knife missed by an inch. He was then moved to Calipatria, and this was retaliation over his seeking and winning his Third Appellate appeal where his Three Strikes conviction was overturned. The guards retaliate against any prisoner that dares to seek his constitutional rights, or file any legal actions and this has been going on for years with nothing being done about it, except to allow the Fox to guard the henhouse, in other words, the guards to investigate the guards, which is just a coverup of what really happened and why it happened. I would ask you to take this issue seriously, as this practice is just simply wrong and needs to be done away with, as there are other better methods to control the prisoners, even the bad actors or lifers who actually have murdered someone. Right now with enhancements and Three Strikes, people are receiving life sentences and then thrown in with the lifers, and they never hurt anyone, as there is no injured party or dead body. These people should be treated differently and not go to a Level IV prison, but should be able to serve their time working as for the most part they are nonviolent. I request that you take immediate action, as there is a better way to run the prisons than using these dehumanizing methods. Sincerely yours,
Janice D. Crumley Enclosure cc: E-mail and Snail-mail
Various interested parties My Website: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Rotunda/4027/
Mr Robert Presley, I thank you for the prompt return of my call yesterday. It seems as if we are playing phone tag. Because of our busy schedules, I will e-mail you the information to make sure that you receive it. Please feel free to contact me again, if you have any questions. I am contacting you on behalf of the prisoners in the State of California. My son is one of them. I am a member of U.N.I.O.N., of which Cayenne Bird, is the Director, and Journalist. She has informed me of her dissatisfaction with your talks on the progress of lockdown, medical neglect, and extreme psychological intimidation of anyone who stands up for themselves. This has happened to my son, and I have feared for his life because of this problem. My son was in Jail for over 2 years during the process of his trial.
He had many encounters with the guards, but just ignored them, and created
peace. He was given time off for good behavior.
Now his life is in danger from the guards. Cayenne, and the UNION have helped to let them know that we are watching them, and I am personally holding them responsible for my sons life. I work for an International Ministry in the Bay Area, that involves most of the pastors in the Bay Area. My ministry was called to head up the prayer when Billy Graham was here a couple of years ago. We are opening an office in Washington D.C. the first quarter of next year. My friends in the ministry are furious at this, and are willing to picket your office, the State Capitol, or Gov. Gray Davis' office, to get the media's attention. My sons life is in danger. My son even told me not to mention the problem any more because of retaliation. The guards have been threatening him with beatings, and are not letting him have canteen. They're making life miserable for him. This was all caused by the guards. When he went into prison, they were on lockdown. HDSP is known for this. In lockdown, they let the prisoners out of their cells for a 5 minute shower, every 3 days. They even ran out of razors. When I went to visit my son, he looked horrible, they wouldn't let him get a hair cut , take a shower, or shave. He was locked in a cell 24 hours a day. He said his cell was filthy, with pubic hair all over it. He asked the guards for cleaning supplies, but they just ignored him. He was given 1 roll of toilet tissue to last the week, when you run out, too bad. No canteen. I've also been in contact with other parents of prisoners in California.
The same is happening to their loved ones.
Medical attention is unheard of. Another game that they play, is when the inmate gets a visitor, that happens to be the very time they finally get their long awaited medical appointment. They have to make a choice to either go to medical, or visit. I've talked with families that scrape money together to visit their family member. Many travel from the Los Angeles area to Northern California to see their loved one, and the inmate has to choose between medical, or the visit. Perhaps this is the reason that the press is not allowed to go into prison. It's not to protect the inmate, it's so that you can't see what is really going on. All you have to do is go to a prison visiting room, and you will discover that all of the stories are the same, just the next is worse than the last. I'm willing to do what ever it takes to get the word out. These are human lives. We're not allowed to treat animals this bad. What happened to human rights? I will forward you a copy of the lawsuit that my son had no choice but to file. I thank you for your time Mardele Duarte
Cayenne, I called Sec'y Presley's office this afternoon, identified myself as a UNION member, and asked to speak with Presley. The woman who answered, named Denise, said, oh, yes, I know what you want to talk about because someone else has called about these issues. She said that the Sec'y was out of the office until Nov. 7th, and that the person I should speak with is his Special Assistant, Ron Barnes, who is out until Monday, Nov. 4th. She gave me Mr. Barnes' voice mail and I left a fairly lengthy message. I have just sent the following email to Presley, and I'm going to print it and send a snail-mail copy to him and to Mr. Barnes. I'll also email it to the journalists you specified: Dear Secretary Presley: I'm writing to you as a follow-up to a phone call I made today to your office. I am a member of U.N.I.O.N., of which, as you know, Cayenne Bird is Director. Most of us have inmate relatives and thus know firsthand what daily life in prison is like. The issues which Cayenne has been discussing with you--excessive lockdown, medical neglect, intimidation, and inadequate food--are serious and unexaggerated. There should be no need of wasting words on establishing their existence, just lots of words and honest effort spent on their resolution. Custodianship of 160,000 men and women is a responsibility of some size, made more challenging by the mental and behavioral problems inherent in a prison population. But given the controlled nature of prison management, there is no excuse for the inability to enforce consistently professional treatment by guards, maintain cleanliness, distribute medication in a timely manner, and provide sufficient, decently cooked food. There simply needs to be more will on the part of our prison system to resolve some very basic issues. Most inmates will do their time and be back amongst us. Beyond taking away their liberty as punishment for crime, it is the prison system's responsibility to make sure that they are not exiting worse--physically, mentally, and criminally--than when they entered. Next week will be a good one to picket your office and attract some media attention. See you there. Sincerely, D. Jimenez
Robert Presley, I just called your office in order to speak
to you on behalf of Ms. Cayenne Bird and all of the members of the U.N.I.O.N.
As soon as your receptionist learned that I was connected to Ms. Bird my
call was shuttled off to your voice mail. Are you hiding? Are you afraid?
Certainly appears to be so.
U.N.I.O.N. Member,
October 31, 2002 Secretary Presley,
As a member of UNION I strongly suggest that you take immediate action to openly address AND FIX prison issues such as inmate medical neglect, lockdowns, psychological intimidation, starvation and etc., with the UNION director, Cayenne Bird. Mr. Presley, you have the power to fix these ills. The question is do you have the "guts" to step up to the plate and do it?! During my many speaking engagements at the California State University-Sacramento (where my book is mandatory reading), I stress that CDC invites a sub-culture of sick vultures (wearing uniforms) who take it upon themselves to act as judge, jury, prosecutor and sometimes, even, executioner! This must end and will end. Therein lies the other question: Will it end during your watch? Lonnie F. DeWitt
Mr. Robert Presley Secretary of Corrections Dear Mr. Presley I called your office on October 31, 2002. I left a message on your voice mail, expressing my concerns with the talks you had with Cayenne Bird director of the UNION (United for No Injustice Oppression or Neglect). Email: [email protected] I explained to you sir, that I was incarcerated for a period of five
(5) years. And that the issues that
I just ask that you listen to the people! We are not just a group making noise our complaints are based on facts. During my incarceration, I survived through the horror on each of these issues. I am one of the lucky ones I am off parole, and in school studying law. During my incarceration, I spoke to Associate Wardens and Captains since I was the Men Advisory Council Chairman. MAC The Associate Wardens explained to me when they look out their windows they see a calm ocean, but I stated that under that ocean there are whirlpools. Well, sir, we ask you to at least listen and look at the whirlpool issues. I have suffered from sever medical neglect and have filed a civil rights
lawsuit. I have lived through
The medical neglect issues have risen to a constitutional violation
of prisoners civil rights. Which has left me with permanent neurological
damage. A man in you position has the power to help change the
IN THE STRUGGLE:
Charles' Outrageous medical neglect happened at Chino. A lawyer has taken his case and we UNION people will support it as if it is our personal case. An op-ed I published in the LA Times several years ago appealing for help caused retaliation on him, but he stood up to them and this is a part of his lawsuit.
Dear Mr.. Presley, I am a member of the UNION.Many of us our concerned about the issues that Cayenne Bird has been trying to bring to your attention.Medical neglect, lockdowns and others I will add myself. Such as setting up parolees for failure by not allowing them transfers to areas that they have support, transportation and employment. I have been trying to help a women with just such a problem. Medical neglect,waiting months to treat serious problems is cruel and
irresponsible. You are facing
Frank Courser Escondido,Ca.
October 31, 2002 Dear Mr. Presley: I understand that when we become elderly, accepting ideas for change
becomes more difficult. But in the case of continuous lockdown you
must change the policies because the parents of the
We know how to organize. You've crossed over into the middle class where people are more intelligent to the way the system operates and we as voters know what to do. We know how to alert the media, we will not be intimidated by your goons. We'd rather die on our feet than live on our knees as the historical statement by our patriot forefathers goes. You have no right to cage up PEOPLE for days, months, years at a time
in rooms the size of bathrooms in our name. We are voters who are
very well aware that 6500 of us can impeach
I maintain the database and I can tell you that we continue to grow
as we educate those you count on to be too dumb to organize. I wonder whose
kids you think you are starving, psychologically
These are our kids. And we are simply not going to take it anymore. Not only will I come to Sacramento to picket with other UNION families, I will bring at least 20 people with me who are equally as fed up. The message here is fix it or expect lawsuits that name you and Davis
personally. We stand firmly behind Cayenne Bird and when she is making
suggestions, you'd be well-advised to listen. She's
As I said, we are simply unwilling to take it anymore and you need to know that this gentle lady is dead serious and well supported by we, the voters. By the way, each UNION member is bring ten people to the polls to vote for Peter Camejo and Donna Warren, a straight green ticket. What's the difference between all of you bullies and the Republicans? You're all the same and it's time the parties more in touch with the people got a little support. The State Auditor's report shows that millions are being wasted on mismanagement of prisons. I plan to alert my local taxpayer's association to all of this outrageous, inhumane, corrupt activity. We don't plan to sit silently and be your victims any longer. And you'd
better lay off her son! We all consider Cayenne Bird and her son
as part of our families. Hurt no UNION member's family.
Keep in mind that the UNION people are the doctors, educators, journalists, social workers, nurses, and INTELLIGENT people in the helping professions. We know what to do to end it. Susan Randall
Dear Mr. Presley, I am a concerned, taxpaying, citizen and I am writing on behalf of the
I am a member of U.N.I.O.N., of which Cayenne Bird, is the Director, and Journalist. She has informed me of her dissatisfaction with your talks on the progress of lockdown, medical neglect, starvation and extreme psychological intimidation of anyone who stands up for themselves. I am requesting that you take immediate action to correct these issues. We would all like to see some visual evidence that these issues are being addressed by you. If immediate action is not taken, we will picket in order to get the media's attention. Thank you for your time. Sincerely,
November 6, 2002 Mr. Presley I would never have suspected
that our US government representatives would allow or look the other way
when prison guards or administrators would abuse or take the into their
own hands in the
Irregardless of the offenses these are US Citizens
that you torture and abuse. The reports are overwhelming and families are
learning to stand together and fight this system of abuse
A system of profiteering on the suffering of US citizens and their families is a travesty and a major embarrassment to the US. Why do you allow it to continue? Is the money that good? From the gouging of families and the poor with unconsciousable telephone charges to withholding medical treatment and food rations so administrators can make themselves look good in the eyes of the public on their budget reports to beatings by guards that are reported as self inflicted injuries by the inmate. My son was tormented because of his mental disability in prison. I have personally met and spoken with a young woman who after being told to walk faster to her cell was thrown against a wall and told to put her arm behind her back. She told the officer she was not able tobecause she was due to have surgery on her arm and also she could not walk fast. The officer told her he would break her arm and proceeded to break her arm in three places and left her in the cell from 6am till 3pm before she was taken to the doctor. When I talked to her she showed me the scars
where she had to have pins in her arm to heal the
Lock downs that are stretched out beyond any reasonably time limit. Solitary confinement carried out for the convenience of warehousing inmates. Many of these tactics used to break down and torture prisoners of war are now being used on US Citizens. Many times because the inmate spoke out about something. Yes we are gathering strength because we are
tired to the system that profits on the torture and
PAT
November 8, 2002 Dear Mr. Presley: My call to your office was returned, not by you, but another in your office named Doug. If UNION must picket your office to contact you I guess that can be arranged. For too long now lockdowns, bad health care and poor food has been the practice of CDC for its inmates. The LA Times just revealed that although HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis are rampant in the prison system the inmates do not get so much as a blood test on entering. When did all inmates become eligible for the death sentence? The excuse given was it was too expensive. It isn’t as expensive as the lawsuits for wrongful death will be unless you clean up your act. There was a letter in UNION last week about the wonderful woodshop that had no wood. Well some scrap lumber was donated and there is something to work with, nothing great, but where is the budget for such items gone? Where is the toy budget? Where is the phone money? Where is the canteen money? Does it all have to go to the CCPOA for $73,000 dollar salaries? Paul Godsend
November 8, 2002 Dear Mr. Presley, I have called you to speak to you about issues that are needing correction
within the prison system. I never did speak to you. Voice mail is
what I got. But that seems to be the norm when one tries to
My friend's counselor will not return my calls, Ms. Millsbaugh I believe is her name. I was told I cannot even speak to a counselor unless she returns my calls herself. There is no actual way for me to get her on the phone. The warden will not respond to my letters of inquiry so as you see communication is thwarted when it comes to prison issues. I am a member of the U.N.I.O.N. and fully back Cayenne Bird in the issues she has been discussing with you. These things are not to be taken lightly. Medical neglect is great. My friend is dealing with Hep. A(1) and they have told him his body will heal itself never explaining anything to him about it. All he was told is he ate contaminated food. Needless to say the food was contaminated because of improper hygiene by kitchen workers and so the disease is passed on. So not only is the food too little to sustain a grown man but it is also contaminated by the workers and diseases are passed on. Lockdowns are continual. It is a never ending cycle and it is not all due to the violent inmates as is the usual excuse given. Why can't those who cause the problem be locked down and the rest of the prison program as usual. There certainly have to be alternative solutions to lockdowns which continue month after month with perhaps a week of regular programing just to give the impression to those of us who speak up that the lockdowns are not constant. The U.N.I.O.N. is ready to picket. Are you ready for a picket? We prefer to reason but if picketing is what it takes then that is what will be. Linda Chiancone
November 15, 2002 Re: Proposed Solutions to Complaints about Prison Living Conditions Dear Secretary Presley: The change that would resolve all complaints is a change of attitude. Yes, prison is a place of punishment. Taking someone's physical liberty and freedom of choice from him is a severe punishment. Housing him 24 hours a day surrounded by many with serious mental and behavioral problems is a severe punishment. That said, what else? Prison should be a public service institution which strives to put the offender back on the street at least the tiniest bit better prepared to cope positively with life than he/she was upon entering. That is not bleeding heart mush; it is rock-hard, public-interested practicality. The CCPOA has won for itself high pay and enviable benefits, and there's no denying that its members have a tough and often dangerous job. The guards need to be called upon to act with a professionalism that is on a par with their privileged position in California. They need to be imbued with a sense of mission that goes beyond their duties as jailers and demands honorable, progressive, fair treatment of inmates with the purpose of saving the public from unimproved parolees. The guards are a small, special army and should be as well disciplined and as accountable as any military unit. Their attitudes must be governed by policies of "correction," not retribution.In that light, the improvements needed in day-to-day prison living are not hard to specify: 1. Increase the quality and quantity of food; make sure food workers are healthy; do not close down canteens except in rare emergencies. 2. Make medical care routine and timely. 3. Provide regular exercise as a mental outlet 4. Encourage visiting--it is free therapy. Reestablish conjugal visits. 5. Bring education programs back, both high school and college, and require participation. An educated person is more able to cope on the outside, has far better self respect, and is more mentally stable. 6. Make good use of incentives for positive behavior rather than taking away "privileges." 7. Keep gangs/ethnic groups as separate as possible. 8. Curtail the use of solitary confinement.The purpose of these
changes is not to pamper criminals.
Sincerely, Deborah D. J.
November 26, 2002 Robert Presley, Agency Secretary
Sir: I write to you to express my concerns about the management of the Department of Corrections. I understand that as Agency Secretary, you are the person who will address my concerns. I hope you will address them at the wardens' meeting and to me directly. My address is at the bottom of this letter in case you wish to reply directly to me. First of all, I wish to express my deep concern about medical facilities at California prisons. My husband is at CTF-Central. He's had several requests for medical attention that have been totally ignored. When he inquires about his Inmate Request to the Chief Medical Officer, he is told that they have no record of his condition. However, when I or our attorney write to the CMO, we get a reply, although delayed by 3-4 months. We are promised that his condition will be taken care of, yet it's been over two years since his initial request for orthopedic shoes and he still has not been notified of when the fitting will take place. This is just one example of the lack of medical care. Secondly, since my husband is a lifer without a parole date, we are not allowed overnight visits. You must understand how a lack of intimacy in a marriage puts a severe strain on the relationship. Inmates get no affection from their families except during visiting room visits. It leads to desperation and depression. Sometimes I wonder if he will survive this ordeal. Not having an idea of when he will be released is sheer torture. If he knew what date he would come home, he could deal with it. Not knowing is depressing. Thirdly, prison staff attitudes towards prisoners are deplorable. I understand the need to control inmates, but harassing them and treating them like dirt is not a humanely way to treat human beings. Indeed, some of their snotty attitudes carry over to inmates' guests in the visiting rooms and all persons are humiliated and insulted. Inmates, as human beings and citizens of the United States, deserve to be treated with respect. Their civil rights are not suspended during incarceration, yet custody staff often disregards their civil rights. I could give you hundreds of examples, but I am sure you already know them. Lockdowns that extend for several months are cruel. Even though the DOM requires staff to provide showers and exercise regularly, inmates do not get released for bathing as required. No amount of 602's remedy this. Anger and depression set in and inmates become unruly and who can blame them? Prisons are severely overcrowded. However, the suggestion that short-termers should be released early just adds to the problem. These inmates are released back into the same situation they came from and they continue their anti-social behavior. They should be kept in prison until they prove to be no longer a threat to their community. Lifers, on the other hand, are mature and have the LOWEST RECIVIDISM RATE, about .08% (CDC Facts). They are the ones who deserve early release. Doesn't it make sense that enormous amounts of tax dollars can be saved by managing them on parole instead of in overcrowded prisons?? Individual wardens and other prison staff make up rules as they go along. Just last week a memo was posted in the visiting room at CTF-Central that prohibits visitors from talking to other inmates and prevents inmates from talking to other inmates. Also, guests now have to wait for their loved one "behind the line." Inmates must all face the officer's podium. Why? Is this official? Who makes up these "regulations"? Are they officially sanctioned? The strange part is, every time a new visiting staff comes in, they make up new rules, none of which are sanctioned, and we have to learn a new set of rules, none of which solve any problems but just make it more difficult for guests to enjoy the little time they have to spend with their loved ones. Any new regulations proposed by prison staff should be reviewed by Sacramento staff in advance. Also, I am very disturbed when staff locks the only access out of the building for visitors. They keep the gate locked so when a visitor needs to use the bathroom, s/he has to ask staff to unlock the gate. Not only is this a nuisance, it is a very dangerous and illegal practice. Fire safety codes require immediate ingress and egress in case of fire or earthquake. Can you imagine how many people can be trampled to death trying to exit the building through a locked gate in an emergency? It's a tragic lawsuit waiting to happen. The food in the mess halls is deplorable. Yes, I know about established standards and how staff swears they follow the regulations, but I tell you, they don't. The food is inedible. It is not nourishing and often contaminated. I have seen - when I worked at a prison facility - guards eating food that was meant for inmates. Not only do they eat the prepared food, they special order huge hunks of beef that they order inmate cooks to prepare and they feast on it in front of inmates. They sometimes actually make the inmates wait to eat until they finish their stolen meal. Don't believe me? I'll sign an affidavit to this effect. Staff theft of state materials is rampant. They steal food, office supplies, use the phones for personal matters, take food away from inmates and consume it, and the list goes on. Upper level officers condone it by not investigating inmates' complaints. Drugs are readily available in all prisons, and don't tell me that visitors bring the stuff in. Some do bring in contraband, but they aren't able to stuff kilos of grass and heroine such as are found inside the prison in their body cavities. Prison personnel should have to go through the same screening procedures that visitors do. And prison officials should stop blaming visitors for the enormous amount of drugs inside. Look to your own. The 602 grievance procedure is a joke. Inmates who have legitimate complaints are jeered at, denied solutions and often punished for complaining. The "hearing" is a moot court and the inmates always lose. Often the 602 is mysteriously lost. A 602 can sit in a mail box for weeks until someone decides to check the mail box. Inmate mail service is seriously lacking. Many times the postage stamps that I send to my husband are "lost." Now I staple the book of stamps to the letter and write in huge letters, STAMPS ENCLOSED. This usually solves the problem once he gets the seriously delayed letter. Inmate packages are lost or destroyed or returned for the simplest reasons. Often items come up missing from the packages. One time I sent a package not knowing my husband had been transferred to another prison. Thepackage was returned to me, but it was missing several items. It should not have been opened in the first place when they learned he had been transferred. Yet the guard opened it and stole items! This is not acceptable. They prey on the most vulnerable. Staff is often poorly trained, or not trained at all. A new CCI was assigned to my husband recently. He had been a C/O. When my husband asked his counselor to perform a standard procedure that was eminently important to his parole hearing, he was told by the CCI that he didn't know how to do it so refused. He is not capable of performing his assigned duties! Unbelievable. I didn't mean to go on so long, but these memories just kept coming to mind and I couldn't leave any issues out. I hope you take my complaints to heart and try to solve these problems. Sincerely, Kathleen Boyd Agrio
December 4, 2002 Frank Lopez
Re: Reply to Robert Presley, Agency Secretary Letter of October 29, 2002 Dear Mr. Lopez: I consider the letter that you sent to me responding to my letter to Mr. Robert Presley, Agency Secretary to be pure claptrap. You did not deal with the issues raised, you only quoted me back Title 14, from the California Code of Regulations (CCR) the definition of "lockdown." You live in some sort of dream world, if what you said was true, then why is a whole yard or prison put on lockdown for what a few have done? What you described was a short-term lockdown after an incident, but the reality is that they can be locked down for months on end, with few showers, poor food shoved through the door, their cells ransacked and property stolen by guards. What is actually happening and what you are being told is happening are not related in reality. You state in your letter that "Correctional Officers are not allowed to retaliate against any inmate for any reason." Then why is retaliation being allowed, why are those doing this not being punished and inmate rights are constantly being violated. There certainly is a disconnect here from what the law is and the reality of what is happening. The law says that the inmate may appeal, but the appeal process is seriously flawed in that they are just Kangaroo Courts, with the people being complained against running the show and not allowing evidence to come in that might be against them. This process needs to be totally revamped, and guards should have nothing to do with these hearings except where they are involved, but only with the evidence they have and not what they may have fabricated out of thin air. In your letter you have the typical condescending idea that if the source is an inmate, it cannot be relied upon. But I have most of the records including police records, legal documents, hearing records on the Morgan case, and I know he is not lying about his case. Joel Brown sent me at his expense, about 3" of documents from his lawsuits and hearings. So what I wrote was based upon the evidence that I have, and not on the word of the inmates. Then U.N.I.O.N. gets 100's of letters about the abuse of inmates at the hands of guards, so we know for a fact that there is a serious problem with the way some guards are treating the inmates with great cruelty. The torture from being on lockdown so much of the time, is growing and we are trying to prevent riots and violence, for if nothing is done about this then you can be sure that at some point in the future that riots or attacks will happen, and inmates and guards will be hurt or killed. The fact that inmates and paroles are making these kind of plans, was just demonstrated tragically in Red Bluff a few weeks ago, where a D.A.R.E. officer was gunned down early in the morning. Here is an innocent officer paying with his life, for what the cruelty and evil done to an inmate who says he killed him for police brutality. Problem is they always hit the innocent ones, but this is what happens when you are not doing real investigations and punishing the guards that are doing the cruel treatment of inmates. I did not write to Mr. Presley to just play word games, but to point out serious problems in the prison system, and demand that these issues be taken seriously and that something be done about it. That is the problem with this corrupt system, is that the head of the Agency is being lied to by those under him, who are being lied to by those under them, and at the inmate level they live in a pure living hellhole. And all that is ever done instead of a real investigation, is a cover-up with all those above just accept at face value question nothing, and you only act when a lawsuit is filed or won, and sometimes you don't even change your ways after paying out millions of taxpayer dollars. Well 2003 is the year where reality will hit the road, as I understand there may be a $30 billion or more shortfall in the State budget, so there will have to be some serious changes made, and for starters those who are non-violent and have received draconian sentences should be revisited and released. I think about 30% of the prison population could be sent home safely, and with a lower population the guards would have an easier time doing their jobs. There is a top 10% or more that are violent, murders, and pure evil themselves, and they do belong in prison as they would never be safe to release. Most people react to how they are treated, so if treated well and respectfully they will act like they are treated. So just civil treatment of even the worst of inmates would go a long way in easing the extreme hate and anger that has built up over the last few years since prisons have been turned into punishment/torture institutions. Rehabilitation has been lost sight of, and they come out much worse off than when they went into prison. So my request is that you and Mr. Presley take these issues seriously, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS! You Mr. Lopez, need to do your homework and get out to prisons, and talk to lots of inmates and get their stories. Right now you are very one-sided, and need to educate yourself on the reality of what it is like to be an inmate in a California Prison. I would like to see you spend a weekend on lockdown and see how you would like to live that way, that would be a reality check. So no, your letter was of no assistance, I can read law also, but one must keep the law and follow the rules and regulations, that is what really counts. Sincerely yours,
Janice D. Crumley cc: Robert Presley, Agency Secretary
E-Mail: Other interested parties
Cayenne: I've been sending in information, forms, etc. to Paul to give to other prisoners as he is able. In a letter I received from him yesterday he shares the following: "I'm sure you remember the Presley letter you sent. My cellie had his wife reproduce a bunch of copies and return them. I'm getting more of them out. She was so impressed with the letter, she wrote to Presley herself. I'm enclosing the copy of her letter. Maybe Cayenne would be interested. You may remember that my cellie's wife lives in Cincinnati and has a prison ministry nationwide. Here is Aneda's letter to Presley: To Robert Presley:
As a founder of the Aneda Caragan Christian Prison Ministry, I have been in close contact with many inmates at the Calipatria Prison System. I know that the many complaints mentioned in the enclosed report are true. It is especially pathetic that inmates serving their time are confined to such small living quarters, not fit for animals. Also the food is not sufficient to sustain children besides grown men, and is so poorly prepared most of the meals are not edible. The inmates were sentenced to time in prison not years of malnutrition and insufficient food. The medical care is so poor, it takes weeks for an inmate to see a doctor
or nurse for care or
I sincerely believe the inmates need an organization such as U.N.I.O.N. to call attention to the officials, who may be unaware of what really goes on in the prisons. I feel it is my civic duty to bring this letter to your attention. I hope you will take time out of your busy schedule to read this letter. Sincerely, Aneda Caragan
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