The
Hunger Strike
By Roy Pippin - March 7th, 2002
The motivation was the inhumane conditions, dehumanizing and demoralizing tactics and procedures used on us, coupled with the intimidation being done on a daily basis.
I had never written up guards at Ellis. There was no reason to. They basically were forced to show us respect because they walked among us and knew we would stand up for our rights and dignity. So the move to Terrell/Polunsky was the first step TDCJ took to start their abusive treatment they were now allowed to do with Bush's blessing. The treatment we received when being loaded on buses for the trip to this unit showed me what we were in for. No animal could have that inhumane type of treatment without the public or authorities stepping in to stop the abuse immediately. They hog tied us in a manner worse than any animal should be done. The trip over was grown men crying and gritting their teeth in pain. Chains with padlocks were used instead of shackles that were designed for humans. I knew right then that we were headed to hell on earth. I was absolutely correct. I immediately typed letters of protest about the conditions and treatment during the transfer to this unit. No one cared. I wrote attorneys and rights organizations. No response came. I wrote the wardens and TDCJ board members. That got a response.
I was called in to see Warden Massey "to hear a speech" (like what Mr Lewis and Mr Robinson recently did). Well, my quest for dignity kicked in right then and has never subsided since. I had no choice but to continue to interrupt him as he started in on "how things were going to be from now on, and that I might as well get use to it." "NOT !" One particular comment, I swear to God Massey said (He recently told Nancy he never said it - Bullshit !), concerned treating us the way we were being treated was happening because of the WAY THE WILD ANIMALS, THAT WERE HOUSED IN THE CELLS WE WERE NOW IN, HAD ABUSED HIS GUARDS IN THE PAST. I pointed out that the isolation, deprivation cells coupled with the way the guards are inciting aggressive behavior by spewing insults and racial slurs at prisoners, was why those men were now being reduced to acting that way. Massey didn't want to hear anything and tried his bullying/intimidation tactics over and over on me - saying I was just going to have to get use to it - that Terrell was run differently than other prisons. No SHIT !! Like prisons of medieval times.
Some of the comments he made during the meeting included "WE HAVE TO TREAT ALL OF YOU THIS WAY FOR THE SAKE OF SECURITY FOR OUR GUARDS"- THAT I HAD NO IDEA THE KINDS OF ANIMALS THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT WERE IN THE CELLS WE WERE PLACED INTO - THAT THOSE MEN WERE LITTLE MORE THAN WILD ANIMALS – THAT THEY THREW FECES AND URINE ON GUARDS, FOUGHT GUARDS AND PRISONERS ALIKE ANY CHANCE THEY GOT. HE SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE COURT ORDER DEATH ROW CONDITIONS FELL UNDER, ALL THEY WERE WAITING ON WAS THE WORD FROM TDCJ BOARD MEMBERS TO START THE WORK PROGRAM, GIVE US TV'S, GROUP RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND RECREATION, CRAFTS, ETC.
It took a couple of years of the abuses and psychological torture but some of the men, friends of mine that never showed any disrespect to guards before at Ellis, are now reduced to throwing human waste on guards to match the disrespect being given to them by the guards on a daily basis. A person in the free world cannot understand what it is like to have a man, just like yourself, that stands outside a cell and calls you a bitch, a punk, or saying how your mother must be proud of you. The guards do this trying to incite you so they can beat on you and level you. This is now known in the "free world" because I did not resort to violence, I used my pen on paper to stop it happening to me. Some of the guys resorted to throwing hot water or trying to kick the guard with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
One friend got leveled for slapping a female guard after she called him a "tamale" and "wetback", then saying "what you gonna do about it, I'll call you anything I want." He reacted immediately without caring of the consequences. The female guard still works here even after she was written up for sticking her face up to the recreation room bars and taunting him. They can't keep guards, so they just let them get by with this type of violations.
The hunger strike was hard for me the first week or so and then it was mind over hunger ! I drank 10 to 20 glasses of water a day and that kept me feeling full. There were friends trying to send me milk or cereals. That was hard to turn down, but I did it because I didn't want the prison to be able to say I was faking. The guards were refusing to state I refused meals in an attempt to discredit me, or just out of their not doing their job properly. I seriously thought I could make it 40 days, but I started blacking out from low blood pressure. The nurse kept saying it was damaging my kidneys, but nothing hurt until about 30 days into the hunger strike. Then it was like things went wrong overnight. I had been using Alka Seltzer to calm the acid in my stomach, but ran out after 30 days. Then it got tough because the acid would come up into my throat and make it hard to breathe. The 35th day got me. The acid went in my nose and throat to the point I couldn't get my breath. That was when I gave up.
Did the protest make a difference? I know for a fact it did. We had never been allowed to recreate, have regular meals, shower or make commissary purchases during the general population lockdown. This time we were not locked down. It would have been another 14 days locked in our cell 24 hours/day if not for all the publicity that was given to my protest. The continued reporting of abuses and inadequate food portions that are cold as ice has caused at least a minor change in procedures around here.
I attribute the larger portions of food we sometimes get to the battle the level III "WARRIORS" are waging down on F pod. My protest along with information provided to the "free world" by men on level 2 and 3 seem to have ignited the abolitionist groups here lately. They protest outside Polunsky every Wednesday now over conditions. I like to think I had a part in making those few things happen by making my stand. I often feel I need to go back on level II or III just to keep myself up to date on the abuses of men on F Pod, but Lil', Jack, Paul, Hank and others are doing a real good job of continuing the fight.
Now that I have learned I'm going into federal court, I do need to see to a few things before I go back down to F pod, if I don't blow up and get leveled one day over some idiot trying to be a tough guy. I hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, I can handle it.
Roy Pippin
#999170
Roy's Journal
...excerpts from Roy's letters to Nancy Bailey
In an effort to effect change, I will continue to post excepts of Roy Pippin's letters offering a small window into life on F Pod.Hopefully these chronicles will result in improvement of food provided to the inmates, and elimination of the abuses at the hands of sadisitic guards. A shortage of guards is better than staffing our prisons with men and women who feel it is their duty to make life miserable for prisoners. There is something terribly sick about people who think it is proper to punish human beings by starvation and taking their thermals away during very cold weather.
However, even if these very important things are accomplished, we must never forget that it is WRONG to keep men in a box, no matter what they might or might not be guilty of. We must never rest as long as people are making decisions about the operation of our prison who think it is good policy to make it impossible for men to communicate with each other without screaming through walls, and who think it is their duty to the public to deprive men of the ability to watch TV or listen to the radio and observe their religions. The notion that it is acceptable to create conditions which will mentally break men down because, after all, these men are desitined to die anyway, is not something we can accept. If these men continue to be treated as animals, soon they will be animals. People of this mind set belong in another time in history back when barbarianism was regarded as normal. As human beings, we must do whatever it takes to insist that our prisons are operated in a humane way by either the people who are operating them now, or, if that is impossible, by other people who understand that order and security can be achieved without torture and sadism.
I continue to encourage you to contact anyone and everyone you think might help. This definitely would include US and Texas legislators, any influencial people you might know, people in the government of other countries and sympathetic media representatives. Make every effort to make sure that information about our problems makes its way to any and all websites, so that more people will become educated and perhaps be persuaded to take action. If we let this go on, we are responsible.
Also,write letters to the TDCJ board members expressing your outrage that they allow this situation to continue.
Nancy
Excerpts...
Jan 29
**** Just got in from outside rec with K9. Found out more stuff. Big time!! K9 was housed next to Resendiz when he was upstairs in 25 cell. He knocked the food tray off the bean slot and then told them to get rank. Rank came and he was saying he was hungry all the time - that they were starving him back here. K9 said it was his exact words! When the rank came to the door, he stood on his bunk screaming he was hungry. Rank said he was going to gas him. Resendiz took a razor blade and cut his arms (both) and neck!! Wrote "I'm hungry" in blood on the wall! They took him to Jester Four (Psych prison). He tried to drop his appeals and told the judge "I would rather die than be starved to death and tortured at Polunsky". They sent him back to Jester Four until last night. K9 swears he is not exaggerating about Resendiz doing any of that!******
*****These pictures they are now taking of trays with food heaping out of each section of the tray are NOT what it has been up until the last week, and then only 2 or 3 trays a week. Which ones do they take pictures of? Why not take one of the 2 tiny waffles, rubber grits, 3 slices of pears, and milk and cereal? *******
*****Guard Sloan is acting like a _____ for some reason, doing the "Sit and Fetch" shit. I was actually asleep so got up in a pissed off mood. When told to sit if I want to eat, I lost it. Told him to stick the tray ______. I don't give a damn right now. He has some new boot punk working with him that stood in front of my door after Sloan moved on. Asking who I'm calling an asshole. He is so stupid he thinks ______ is calling him an asshole. He will probably write me up for this even tho I just refused my meal. I know what you said about getting off F Pod, but I don't really care anymore. Being treated like a dog does that to you, Nancy. For the record, Sloan said: "You want to eat? Sit!" You don't have to do the "Sit and Fetch" when they pick up the trays, or when they pass out mail or necessities. Only when there's food involved. It's a demeaning practice used for control - like a dog. I will never do it. I know it's different, but Roosevelt's saying of "It's better to die fighting than to live on your knees sure applies. It isn't living when you have no dignity. That is their plan, to strip you of everything.********
******Just like last night - they are turning the lights on (like they used to) when guards are on the sections - so it's "bright light" again and again and again. You are absolutely right, Nancy. After, what, 60 days as of today, the isolation, restrictions catches up to you. The lights on and off bullshit is just another one of their tactics to set men off. I was up reading at 1:30 AM, but the whole F Pod went off becuase the idiot in the picket was turning on the lights waking everyone up as the guard walked the run with flashlight in hand. Mostly rookies doing this shit, I guess.*******
******K9 was explaining just how cut up Resendiz was, that his neck was gaped open and blood covered his body. This is the sort of thing that happens when disturbed men are taken off their psych medicines, like what happened when Soria cut Mr. Westbrook after he was taken off his psych medicine*****
*****Polunsky goes by its own rules "because they can". Nobody is going to stop them. Not the board members or bad publicity. It's all "for the sake of security". That's all they have to say. Treating men this way - starving them - they gassings - beatings - is all part of their controlling men instead of letting us live out our lives under the court mandated rules. This shit never happened at Ellis.*****
Jan 30
*****I won't give his name, but one of the cool guards stopped by to tell me he read for about 5 hours on the internet about my reports and other peoples' reports. You'll love this! He said he understands more now why some men do what they do. He is not one to "screw over" prisoners unless they disrespect him. Then you can't really blame him. He said he sees the injustices that are being done - that he used to get mad when a prisoner jacked a slot or flooded on his shift because he didn't screw anyone over. Knowing what goes on before and after he is here made him realize why they do those things.******
*****It's 10AM. Unreal!! I talked to Lil Jack and BeBe while at rec over on E Section. Get this! 10 days to 2 weeks ago Officer Baker was dressed as a prisoner and placed in 65 cell - which has a food cage/box on the front - was told to kick the door, scream bloody murder, cuss, throw things at the door, etc., as they videoed the whole thing. Sergeant Fote was yelling to make more noise, kick more, etc. and then they would tape him doing it. This has to be to show why a prisoner is gassed and beaten. Like you can't just let the prisoner keep going off for whatever reason, I guess. Then they came back a few days later and did the same thing again, but louder.******
****BeBe and Lil Jack were told no more snacks between insulin shots (peanut butter sandwich and milk) because they refused to be on a diet tray. Said it's a new State Policy. Bullshit! If it is, it's barbaric! Lil Jack had to sign a refusal form (for the diet tray) to get a regular tray. First they switch up from 3 shots a day (one before each meal) to two bigger shots (breakfast and dinner) and are so sorry they refuse them a ____peanut butter sandwich in case their sugar goes crazy in a cell you can't scream for help from. The idiots in the picket won't answer calls from men in the cells for hours at a time. I see a lot of Eddie Rowton cases on the horizen.*****
****A key problem with the new food cages/boxes is that there is not room to reach down in there with hands on both sides to set the tray, cup of juice, etc in there, so things, chunks of food fall all over the place in the box. So far, they have refused to schedule a crew or even a procedure to clean out the juice, food, etc. Lil Jack had to talk a guard into leaving the slot out that covers the hole in the door to where he could clean his out himself. ******
***** It's 3:30 AM the 31st. I was lying here remembering being at Ellis with both Windell and Blue(Hafdahl). Walking the yard talking or playing dominoes. These cells are torture, but at least the new guys don't ever get to be friends with guys only to watch them be killed.*********
****I would venture to say that a good 75% of the guards know we are being abused and mistreated. I see it in how they act around us - not wanting to make life for us any worse. Since Christmas, Thorn hasn't been around. Getting that type hater out from back here would help a lot. The gassings, run ins etc have calmed down in the last 2 weeks.*****
Jan 31
****I've been sitting here trying to read, but could not focus. No, not the noise for a change. It's the light people are seeing Paul, RR, Chi Town, BD, Tigner, Soldier, DW,etc in due to their agressive actions. I want to ammend and retract some of my comments directed toward those men's actions. In actuality, they are the ones who bring about change. I brought some attention to a few horrid conditions, but I have not battled these injustices for years (literally) as some of those brave warriors have done. Hank has worked tirelessly for years for better conditions. I re read some of the postings and was very shocked at how I stated some things almost like some TDCJ officials, guards and rank have said before. Therefore I wish to extend my apology - on line if possible - to those men. I never did and never would disrespect them or their efforts. Fighting for our humanity is what keeps us sane. No two are alike - not clones as I stupidly stated - and their determination to not take these abuses lying down pales my measly 35 days of a hunger strike. It's the actions of these warriors who gave up their bodies to pain that got extra food, salt and pepper, property wrongfully taken, and a little better treatment form these control freak TDCJ ranking officers. Any positive changes have been because of their efforts. Sorry guys if I pissed any of you off - It was not intentional, I swear. I think things slowing down a little forced me to look at the big picture.*****
*****7:40 PM - Gassing on E Section right now. Guess what? Vents were left ON for the first time. The effect? A little gas to everyone (even A, B, and C) to make us cough, but not eyes and nose running type irritation. All the guards, even in the picket, had on gas masks. Usually it's just the run in team, nurse, and camera person.*******
****Level Ones would cower down to do as instructed and let them do that to them. As much as you want me to be back one Level 1, I figure I will end up on 2 (or 3) over refusing to be treated like a dog. It's my choice to go through all this from now on. Hope you will understand if I end up back here most of the time. No, I don't like the restrictions, but I won't live out the rest of my life as a puppy!******
*****An un-named guard said the videos being filmed are training videos "for the Acadamy". I was told "more changes coming up we probably won't like". I'm sure the videos are propaganda tools as well. What? The pictures of the food are to show recruits what they get to eat?********
Friends...
I have fallen way behind. I will begin to catch up tonight. I hope y'all continue to find these accounts informative and motivational. We cannot rest until we achieve change. At the present time, it appears that the more attention we bring to the situation, the worse it gets in terms of treatment. What do you think this means? TDCJ officials are stepping forward to proclaim that there are no problems or abuses. Please keep working on this problem. although our primary goal is to abolish the death penalty, the men and women on death row and their families (many of whom are a part of this effort) need our help to transform death row to a humane facility.
Feb. 5, 2002
*****Breakfast sucked. Two tiny waffles, a few baked apple slices, syrup,
cereal and milk, coffee. That's it. Goes to show things go
back to normal in a heartbeat from full trays to trays with nothing on them.****
****John Paul is in "B" rec area and said he was "upgraded" if I heard him right. That will mean he goes back to Level 1 today or tomorrow. O'Brien got set off 3 months without getting any cases written on him, so it's a crap shoot. I feel my internal affair stuff will stop me from making it. We will see in 3 weeks.*****
****Ding ding ding! Tiny Tim Lester is really looking like a dark hearted ____ right now. The heat is broken or off, and cold air is blowing in the cells. No thermals!! White kind of prison system is it when punishment includes subjecting men to the cold without adequate clothing? Sure, we can wrap up in a blanket all day. Under covers 23 hours a day to stay warm? Is that a sick bastard or what? K9 said Lester, Poole, and others walked the run awhile ago saying to make sure everone has a blanket. K9 said Lester stopped at my cell and looked in. I was freezing, so I was under cover with my back to the door. It's probably good I didn't see Lester (smile). Then I know I would be back here a very long time. It's now shower time – that will be cold as shit, too - waiting to be put back in my cell. It's got to be 50 degrees in here. (Nancy note - Feb 26 – the temperature dropped to low 30s last night in the Houston area; tonight it's supposed to reach record lows - in the low 20s. As Livingston is north of here, it's probably colder)*****
Feb. 6, 2002
*****They are gassing Soldja
right now. The idiots brought the chow cart in - left it unplugged
for 30 minutes as they suited up and then the "SSI" said they just
pushed it into the hallway and left it. They are popping can after can of gas.
The whole wing is absolutely quiet. It's eerie as hell. One warrior
saying "Enough is enough" has everyone's attention. It's 6:35 -
Chow? finally is served - colder than if it was in a refrigerator and the main
course (big section) is full to the top with what appears to be cat vomit.
Smells like it too. I have no idea what it is suppose to be - it's gross!
5 spoons of beans, 4 spoons of cream corn - nasty tasting ice cold! 4
spoons of potato, and 2 slices of bread and juice. I ate beans, bread and
potato. These are some sick individuals making up these dishes.
Someone said it had chunks of chicken in it. The "purge
fans" to get the gas out cooled it down to 50 degress in here in a flash.
Of course it was while serving this lovely meal. Looks like I will be eager for
breakfast now. I only eat it a few times a week. I quit eating the
cold pancakes - it tastes like wet dough. I always drink the milk and eat
the cereal..
It will be 10 PM before we get mail now. Still necessities and some
showers to be done. Dinner will last another 1 ½ hours until it's cleaned
up and off the wing*****
*****Big problem!! Officer Beard insisted on stripping me out to bare feet and ass in 40 degree temperature outside. Now they change policy to abuse us any way they want. Lost my shower for embarrassing Beard. Of course the heavyset black girl stood there watching . I called Beard a "Lester Whore" and all the goodies I could think of. Last year Lester agreed to put the prisoner in the shower or other rec area instead of stripping us outside. This is just more retaliation by Lester. You really cant blame Beard - he doesn't want to lose his job - and had been written up already for not following procedure. Lester is producing volatile, inciteful circumstances trying to push prisoners to the limit of dehumanization. They keep us hungry, and these punks do strip searches, touching the men and handling their underwear and then serve our meals without even washing their hands, knowing we have no recourse. The health department wont even help us.*****
**** More bullshit! Troy Kunkle asked for his hour rec. "No, says Beard - They changed the cell restriction one day out to Saturday" So they are breaking their own rules of one day out every 7 days. Beard refused to call a sergeant. See! If you don't go off enough to force a rank down here, they just screw you over. By their own procedures - by state law - Troy is allowed to go out one hour a week, and now it will be 10 days. Like giving an hour today is being too easy on him. Sorry ____s!! 3 weeks to go until I come up. Sorry, I'm almost positive I won't make it. You watch - the last two weeks I will be on shakedown list. Normally it's only when you don't go out or shower 2 days in a row. Just watch. It's someone else being screwed over, and I get pissed! Alvin yelled at me to read Psalm 3! It didn't help enough!!******
I 60 to Lester 2/7/02
I assume the orders to strip men naked in 40 degree weather was your decision. Real humane treatment, huh? Last year, after numerous calls and letters, you allowed prisoners to be taken to the shower or empty rec area to do the strip search out of the cold. What is up, Lester - you just feeling sadistic, or what? I will be writing a grievance on this issue, but it should not be necessary. You should insist prisoners be treated humanely. I keep praying something will snap in you that treating death row prisoners this way is wrong. Do what is right and end this treatment. It serves no purpose but sadistic torture.
Feb 8, 2002
**** Lesterland is without heat again. I'ts a daily thing! Thermals sure would be nice. The air being off makes it easier to hear people. Maybe it's the pressure build up or just the air noise. I can hear my new neighbor. He talks slowly where the noise isn't reverberated too bad. So much for that - people are screaming about the food now. Damn, it's loud. Ear plug time!!*****
*** Note of interest: Resendiz asked to be moved out of #19 cell. Done the same day! Guess I'm a nobody. Works for me!****
*****MeMe said BD got messed up real bad on 1/31/02. He blocked the door where the run-in team couldn't open it. Then allowed them in. Just like Paulie explained in those letters, MeMe said the sound was unreal. They dislocated BD's arm (popped back in by the doctor) and hurt his wrist and hand pretty bad.******
Feb 9, 2002
The ____ ____ ____ in the picket "Guard Smith" (a male) was just bouncing around cheering and doing boxing motions as Paul got gassed and run in on in outside rec on "F" section. Guys upstairs can see it all and are doing a blow by blow description. I personally witnessed Smith clapping and jumping up in the air as they beat Paul. Real professional idiots working here. If you think it incited me - you can imagine what it did to the level 3 guys. Miss Williams is not filming the riot gas cannisters being shot into the other rec yard now. I don't know yet who is out there. The gas is eating all of us alive!!! Oh, it was R.R in "A" outside. Everyone is coughing and gagging. There was "another" camera outside. Which film will be shown? Poor Troy thought washing your face helped. Just the opposite. It burns 10 times worse until you clean it off with soap and water. The ____, Smith in the picket epitomizes the problem. His breed of ____s is why abuses get worse and worse. He was pissed because he couldn't beat on the prisoners. Time to wash upl It's 1:55 and the purge fans are on.*****
****It was funny, the fat white guard was saying half the guards were quitting because they are being forced to work death row. He is talking about it himself. If he can't get transferred to population, then he will quit.*****
****Bad news! F Section is locked down. Johnnies and the whole enchilada. It's so they can't jack the shower, run, or their cell so many times a week. They will not be allowed the one day of rec. Only 2 showers a week, no commissary - not even stamps! To add insult to injury, we were given "overflowing trays of food as they got sack meals. Guess they will starve them into submission. Sergeant Griggs just picked up trays. I asked if they were going to star ve those men into mubmission. He gave a pained face "Its not my call - it's administative action".******
Feb 11. 2002
****Alvin and I went to outside rec today. Outside I found parts to the cannisters of gas shot in on RR Saturday. New tactics!! Yes, they had SSIs hose down the outside recs because that tupe gas is expecially nasty. It hurts guards and prisoners alike. It fills your lungs and your chest aches for hours. This was even using a towel over my mouth and wet tissue in my nose. I don't know how those guys handle all that gas. It messed up everyone in A & B sections. Then the lockdown was started on F section.******
*****Todd could see what went on the other day when Paul jacked the handcuffs into his cell. Paul clamped the one loose cuff to the wire in the window section where the door could only be opened 6 inches. Welders came in and cut out the cover and then cut the cuffs so they could run in on him. Then Paul gets a receipt where Polunsky charged his account for the damaged property. Good old TDCJ. They can't figure out how to stop him - like maybe humane treatment - so they screw him over on his money.*****
****It's 4 PM. We had a shakedown a few hours ago. It figures! I had just gotten to sleep and here they come. Not too bad. The Srg said it was to pick up "radios and fans" that slipped by. Weird stuff going on. The boredome is getting worse. I need to sleep more but can't seem to. It''s like they plan on turning lights on each time I try to sleep. It's back to 5, 6, 7 times during the night.******
*****F Section's johnny bags sit on top of the food cart each time they com in to feed chow. The SSI said 8 guys are still on food loaf too. Hell of an existence! Now - it's no rec, 2 showers a week, johnnys 3 times a day. no way to buy stamps or writing supplies. I wouldn't put it past these people to take their visits, too. I hope not, but you never know.******
*****Sgt Griffin was saying the "order came from off this prison to make prisoners strip in the freezing cold instead of letting us strip out in an inside rec are or in a shower. I wouldn't put it past the administrators.*****
Feb 13, 2002
**** They knew they messed up the other day when they shot cannisters at RR and immediately brought him a "special form" concerning unauthorized use of force. He was hit in the head and back by these projectiles designed to be shot from 100 yards when he was less than 30 feet away. ******
****Lunch was cold but plentiful. Some of the guys aren't losing weight like they were. Believe it or not, it's actually quiet enough to hear when RR, Hank, etc, call out to me (while in D rec). No one is in D Section and only half of E is occupied, so it is possible to hear better. Also, they all show each other respect and talk one at a time instead of screaming over each other****
****Oh, I stopped Lt. Worthy this morning (Grievance Guy) and asked about strip searching in 35-40 degree weather. He had two women walking with him and was being a lot more willing to talk than usual. He said "Oh - no one else is complaining!. That was his exact words. What? Am I the only one to write I 60s and grievances? Feels like it sometimes. My grievance went out a week or 10 days ago, so it will be hot by the time they reply. Same old TDCJ bullshit.****
*****I keep forgetting to add what Lil Jack and Sho Time kept explaining to me about the good cages. JDCJ still refuses to schedule a crew to clean them. Even if they do clean them, men are forced to pass dirty underwear, socks, jumpers, sheets, etc out through the space their food is then placed in. A man's shoes are placed where his meal is served minutes later. TDCJ has made another white elephant. Tear up the doors and install these boxes without thinking it through or setting up procedures to allow a safe and clean environment for prisoners******