Note:
As of late October, Jason Walker has been moved to the Ellis Unit.
Jason reported that he's in a block of 300 prisoners who are being given
cold showers, and when he complains about this (or anything), they lock
him up for several hours in a phone-booth-sized cubicle too small to
sit down in. To complain about this treatment, you can ring the warden's
office at
(936) 295-5756
or try emailing the warden at kelly.strong@tdcj.texas.gov. You may wish to ask the warden's office whether anything has been done about this since they received an earlier complaint.
Introduction:
The incidents described
in this piece give context to the historical and contemporary art of
abuse, inflicted on prisoners from the torturous isolation chambers
of the Eastern State Penitentiary during the 1820s, to the 1971
Attica rebellion and beyond.
The documentation of
the past, present, grieved events of prison-controlled torture, blaze
a paper trail that show abuse by guards is a lot deeper than being
inadvertent or isolated events. It is actually part of a
poorly-designed program designed to crush the will and spirit of
prisoner resistance and unity through intimidation, coercion,
physical assault, humiliation, isolation, starvation, and when all
else fails – attempts are made to outright murder prison activists
and other “troublemakers” who refuse to bow down to the
injustice.
These methods do work
against many prisoners; but others use them as fuel to the fire in
their outspoken voice and work.
Administrative efforts
to suppress the truth – or punish those who reveal it – play
counter to the kind of ethical standards that the common folk would
expect from an institution whose mission is “corrections”, and
under a government who often criticizes the inhumane prison practices
in other countries, like the Western media's critique of Abu Ghraib,
which was called “Saddam's torture central” because of its
twice-weekly public executions during the reign of the Ba'athist
government. Of course, after U.S. forces overthrew Saddam Hussein's
government in 2003, the Abu Ghraib prison's name was changed to the
Baghdad Central Confinement Facility (BCCF) as a way to sever it from
its dark past. But the torture that occurred there after U.S. control
made Saddam's “torture central” look like the detritus of those
American-regulated acts.
However, U.S. citizens
are becoming more aware that these schemes and abuse of official
power are common among guards, and are mutually reinforcing through
ranking staff. On a bigger scale, it is slowly being spread across
the world by way of American militarized occupation of countries like
Iraq and its prisons. Instead of continuing Saddam's public
executions at BCCF, U.S. military guards like Corporal Chris Graner
and Chip Frederick held private executions and torture of Iraqi
detainees, while snapping photos of these abuses for personal
pleasure and future reminiscing. Unlike Saddam's, their practices
weren't intended to be made public, just as with the practices here
at the Telford Unit.
This matter raises more
far-reaching questions about how the concept of integrity and
corrections is understood. As it is, the officers are themselves
giving examples of criminal conduct.
There is no honor among
abusers
There is an art to the
emotional and physical abuse that is inflicted on prisoners by
Telford Unit staff of a variety of professions. It is sneakily
sketched to first justify any act or reaction made by guards,
including slapping, punching, and breaking bones. This may be in
relation to a guard being provoked to attack, or just feeling the
need to uphold law and order in a way that is personally satisfying
or maliciously vengeful.
Justification and
relief of any liability comes at the expense of the prisoner being
written a disciplinary report for assaulting or threatening to
assault staff; self-inflicted bodily for secondary gain (e.g. playing
crazy to avoid previous write-ups); refusing to obey an order;
possession of a weapon, and any other reason a guard can use to
explain why contact with the prisoner was made. In short, it falsely
projects the guard as a responder to a dangerous situation or
prisoner. A situation that they themselves stage.
One example of this
“manipulated enforcement of the law” happened September 20th
2018, around 7:30 AM, to Isaiah Freeman #1562524, who is housed
underneath me in 12-Building B Pod 77 Cell, waiting to be moved to
the medium custody building once a room becomes available; till then
he's single-cell solitary like me.
As Officer Dillon P.
Powell escorted the smaller-sized, handcuffed Freeman from the shower
back into his cell, he used this handicap to add to his resume of
assaults on prisoners. With full awareness that the pod surveillance
cameras were recording, and as I watched through the reflection of a
window, Powell grabbed Freeman by the neck and choke-slammed him to
the ground, obviously attempting to break it.
Powell used one knee
and all of his weight to choke-pin Freeman's neck to the ground as he
fought for air, until the sleeping pad watch tower guard, Donna K.
Strickland, happened to see, and then called for help. Going against
the grain of policy, Powell didn't have a walkie-talkie or a second
escorting guard, which is designed to prevent another Telford Unit
officer from getting killed, as happened in this same setting several
years back. He didn't even verbally holler for help.
Sgt Victor M. Raggs,
Ira M. “Beastmode” James, Lt. Ricks, and others responded. Ricks
manically demanded that Powell remove his knee from Freeman's neck,
roll him on his side and allow him to breathe. “Beastmode”'s
assistance was nothing but obnoxiously rehearsed screaming threats at
Powell's co-worker Jones. Insults like “fat stupid motherfuckers”
and a litany of other vulgar language and disrespect came from her
mouth, you name it she said it. Raggs said nothing of the harassment
directed at Jones, which stemmed from his absence during the assault
and the fact that he allowed protective custody prisoners everywhere,
willy-nilly. When the smoke cleared, Jones took his frustration out
on us.
Powell is the same
abusive guard that had just come back from leave following, and in
response to, an incident that he had with a hispanic prisoner who
occupied the same cell Freeman is now in. And who slammed another
handcuffed prisoner on another cell block, a few weeks after slamming
Freeman.
Freeman was framed as
being aggressive and trying to escape Powell, despite having nowhere
to go beyond his own cell. The excited voices of random prisoners
demanding that Ricks review the camera footage were abated by
Beastmode's empty threats that someone would wake up dead if we
didn't mind our own business. Her reputation for using spit, and far
worse schemes than Powell can think of, was enough to quiet all
except a few who only spoke back from a hiding position in their
cells. From her position as a non-ranking officer, she has and
exercises more authority than her supposed superiors, often telling
them what to do.
Powell was allowed back
on the cell block to work, using the opportunity to taunt Freeman
cellside and through the safety of the cell door; eventually
provoking Freeman into throwing water out of the cell, at which point
Powell ran to his supervisor and claimed Freeman hit him.
The original assault on
Freeman was never filed, so as to prevent the incident and camera
footage from being investigated beyond Telford Unit's damage control
“commune”. The water-throwing claim was fully investigated and
remedied, while Powell escaped liability unscathed, using the
subsequent assault claim to validate his own premeditated conduct –
and possible future assaults if he ever crosses paths with a
handcuffed Freeman again. Even though Jones was only following Sgt
Raggs' orders when he left Powell to escort Freeman alone, he was
used as a scapegoat and blamed for the entire event; but I never saw
anyone question why Powell took the initiative to do something that
he knew ran afoul of policy.
Over-the-top assaultive
oversight
Another prisoner, last
name Martinez, was a victim of two separate assaults during an
unknown time, but within the last two months. I'd actually seen this
prisoner during the month of August 2018, painfully pushing his
walker with a back-brace on. It was rumored that “staff beat his
ass” for reasons unknown, but under the pretext that he tried to
“assault staff”, even though he couldn't take a single step
without the use of his walker.
Interestingly, when I
was thrown in lock-up by Lieutenant Derek D. Sartin on Sept 5 2018,
who confronted me with the threat of violence while I was on my way
to a disciplinary hearing, I was put in a cell above Martinez. This
time, he had a neck brace on, and a badly bruised face and black
eyes. He still had his walker, but could barely use it or stand up to
submit to handcuffs, which is the only way we can leave the cell. Out
of necessity, he avoided leaving the cell to shower.
Unseasoned 12-Building
staff were led to believe that Martinez failed at attempting to hang
himself, and that his injuries were the result of this, and his
placement in lock-up was due to his assaultive behavior. Rumors
spread throughout the building as some staff vicariously passed what
they'd heard to prisoners who work around us but live in the prison
dormitory. These prisoners began doing the same, but adding and
deleting details to their liking.
The real reason for his
placement in lock-up was to isolate him until his wounds healed, the
assault charge was a complete invention. Martinez's entire stay in
lock-up generated taunts, harassment, indifference and emotional
torment from medical staff and guards alike. He was often called
“crazy” and “stupid-ass” for supposedly trying to kill
himself, but Martinez defended himself by letting it be known that he
was attacked and nearly killed. An Officer Smith commented to me that
“they” and medical staff thought Martinez wouldn't make it and
that he should be dead, she is one of the many that are saying that
he hung himself.
On the morning of
September 30 2018, and during my one hour of recreation, Officer
Justin W. Freshour admitted that Lieutenant Jesus M. Estrada “beat
Martinez' ass” at length and beyond a deadly use of force. “That
wasn't a use of force, Estrada beat the shit out of him” Freshour
said with a blushing smile. Freshour also noted that Martinez was
recently beat again “by staff”, this time here in 12-Building and
during Estrada's shift. Estrada has recently been promoted to a
12-Building Lieutenant.
Freshour claimed to
have no knowledge of what led to the double assault, and showed no
concern about it, like everyone else. He did seem content with the
result, and the fact that Estrada now has a broader range of security
oversight on prisoners isolated from the help of others, and those
under the care of protective custody.
A white prisoner (I
lost his contact info) who lives in the protective custody section of
12-Building told me some time ago that Estrada broke his hand by
slamming it in the door. He still had the splint on his arm. He
claimed to have a lawsuit pending on the matter.
These incidents
illuminate the threats that I was subjected to by Estrada and Sgt
Zavin M. Gilstrap on July 14 2018. I was taken from my cell on
3-Building by Gilstrap, handcuffed and taken to a dark and secluded
area, simply because I refused to stop pursuing the publication of aheat
stroke-related article that was confiscated by Security Threat Group
officer Angela Mendez on completely fabricated grounds.
Instead of Estrada
addressing the issue of Gilstrap threatening to write me a false case
for threatening to kill female officers if I didn't give in, he
protected Gilstrap by letting it be known that, however Gilstrap
wanted to handle the situation, he had his full support. Estrada even
mentioned that if I thought everything was a joke, I should go eat
lunch and he'd show me what he'd do once the handcuffs were removed.
Three white prisoners, a white guard and one black officer stood
behind me in the cramped space, seeming to want to see Estrada's
threat lived out then and there.
Activist
and Professor of Philosophy for Austin's community college, Azzurra
Crispino posted a narrative of this event on the PAPS blog immediately after my phone
call to her. These events were in full view of various cameras, but
little investigating was done, and both Gilstrap and Estrada were
hastily assigned to work either end of the walkway that led to the
chow halls, law library, infirmary, and mailroom, making it
impossible for us to not cross paths.
Captain Gooden was the
initial investigator, but decided to pass the investigation over to
the culprits' shift captain, “Beard” once evidence showed how
unusual the ordeal was. Gooden claimed to be one of the few with
integrity, and his desire to have nothing to do with anything has
allowed his integrity to go unchallenged.
The Three Little Pigs
Head Warden Garth A.
Parker, Assistant Warden Marshall, and Major Timothy S. Hooper, when
together, almost look like the three little pigs, if one uses their
imagination. All three are replacements for others holding these
ranks who were transferred.
Hooper looks like your
typical small-town jailer, beer belly, out of shape, thick mustache,
smelly breath, extremely hateful and a coward. His belief is that
being a top guard means that he's automatically entitled to the
highest level of respect and submission, becoming aggressive when a
prisoner doesn't go along with this act. However, he is good at
hiding his deeply-ingrained racial hatred when around imposing black
people, like Warden Marshall. Around Warden Parker, this reserve
vanishes, and his verbally abusive behavior builds momentum by the
second.
Warden Parker has some
of this same racial hatred, and uses obscene language and blatant
threats to “do something” as a way to mask his fear of being
challenged, whenever he has no choice but to address an issue with a
prisoner. He usually sends others to do his ground work for him. When
he has something foul up his sleeve, Hooper is called to assist him,
as they will both vouch for each other following acts of misconduct.
An example of this foul
partnership occurred on Sept 6, 2018, when I was handcuffed and taken
to see Parker and Hooper. Before the door closed, I was met with a
crossfire of “dumbass”, “lying motherfucker”, and sly
threats. The purpose of the meeting wasn't to address a slew of
ombudsman complaints regarding various staff, but to threaten,
harass, and coerce me into not posting any more blogs or articles
that generate such activity. Parker claimed that he'd be monitoring
my mail and keeping close tabs on me. If it didn't work, he said,
he'd do something to make me stop. He didn't say what that would be,
but he did seem confident that it would solve the problem.
Warden Marshall, on the
other hand, is a black official and jailhouse “token”, used to
quell individual resistance and united fronts against blatant acts of
injustice. He's no different than Al Sharpton; often popping up to
pose as a rescuer, but only when it serves the interests of his
administration more than it exposes its deficiencies and assaultive
history. He seems stuck on criticizing our actions, not confronting
or analyzing the individuals and situations that provoke it. His
method of problem solving is perfunctory, not effective.
This was exposed on
September 24, 2018, during a handcuffed visit I had with Marshall,
Hooper, and Assistant Warden Michael W. Bates. Bates posed as a
fair-minded person who was looking to address my complaint about laundry manager Renitia T. Davis and Lt. Sartin. After Bates left,
Hooper claimed that my complaint about Sartin
was unfounded. Absurd
and devoid of logic as it sounds, Hooper said Sartin was only answering
my question of whether he would hit me. Marshall agreed that since I
asked him if he planned on hitting me, he had the right to approach
me with balled-up fists and say that he might do so.
A change of events
warrants retaliation
I am happy to report
that the threatening an officer case that I was written by laundrymanager Renitia T. Davis, that resulted in me losing my line class
and good time, and being demoted to medium custody status, was
ultimately overturned by Warden Bates on October 5 2018. Through the
help of outside supporters, and my dilligent networking, I exposed
the conspiracy that Davis, C Tisdale PS III (counsel substitute
imposter), Disciplinary Hearing Officer Captain Sandra M. Clark,
Counsel Substitute Sheila A. Forte and Lieutenant Derek D. Sartin
engaged in that prevented me from collecting evidence, attending the
hearing, questioning the accuser, and appealing the finding of guilt.
Jane M. Cockerham of the TDCJ Ombudsman Office assisted in trying to
seal the deal by providing false information to a supporter that
filed a complaint. “It was noted that the offender had no
disciplinary hearing scheduled for the date of this incident, but
that he did attend a hearing the following day. There is no
indication that staff violated agency guidelines...”
In a separate response
from Cockerham, covering the same issues, she provided more false
information: “He was afforded the opportunity to appeal the
decision in this matter, but there is no record of him doing so, and
the time limits for appeal have expired. Based on a review of
available documentation, the case was appropriately processed, and
there is no reason for a reversal of the original decision.”
Apparently there was
reason for a reversal; on September 26 2018, I filed a grievance
laying out the conspiracy, and it didn't take Bates long to rule in
my favor, which requires compelling documented evidence, given that
the time limit for appeal had expired. “Disciplinary Report
#20180337108 has been recommended for overturn. Please allow ample
time for this to reflect upon your record...” (Grievance
#2019011895). The reversal reflects many due process of law
violations.
Even though I defeated
the case, since then I've been bombarded with many other cases from
Officer Myers, Officer Drager, and others claiming that I'd engaged
in lewd acts. These cases are no different to the threat case, as
it's my word against theirs. And it subjects me to worse conditions
and punishment than what I'd previously got overturned.
On October 6 2018,
around 10:00 AM, Officer K. Smith, with the assistance of a
protective custody prisoner, attempted to pass me a lunch tray
containing the prisoner's spit. “Spit in his tray”, she said in a
low tone. “Do it, I'm serious”, she told him with a sincerely
straight face. After she realized I was standing at my door, she
claimed the tray would go to my neighbor Jose Hernandez #2185302.
This was brought to
Raggs' attention to no avail; the very next day Smith was assigned to
our pod again. For no reason at all, she denied Hernandez the right
to shower, claiming that they verbally refused. Her beef with me stems
from the fact that I defeated my case and was helping Hernandez, who
is transgender, defeat a threatening an officer case she framed them
with on October 6.
Raggs was present when
Smith called Hernandez all kinds of terms such as “bitch” and
“HIV-having ho”, but just as he was unresponsive to James'
threats towards Jones, he was even more unresponsive in this
situation. This suggests that Raggs and the prisoner lackey have an
understanding with her that enables her to freely engage in malicious
activity, particularly when around them.
On October 7, Smith was
assigned to work with Jones, a proverbial pushover, who conceals his
lack of fortitude by claiming to be a humble servant of Christ.
Not only did Smith deny
Hernandez a shower, she wrote them another threat case then tried to
get Jones to bear false witness; he declined to do so, but the case
was still written. In between these acts, she went from cell to cell
spreading rumors about Hernandez being HIV positive. She then openly
showed frustration when I refused to leave the day room until she was
assigned elsewhere.
A team of guards headed
by Raggs entered the pod, and I insisted that Smith being moved
elsewhere was a non-negotiable demand. The usual threats of physical
assault were hurled, but the hollers of other prisoners stating that
they'd riot eventually caused Raggs to finally agree to move Smith to
another section. Out of anger, Smith hollered from afar that I'd
start getting the same treatment as Hernandez for helping “the dick
sucker” and that we must be “sucking each other's dicks”.
But, in the teeth of
repression, my personal small token of getting a disciplinary case
overturned through struggle, unity, struggle, is only marginal. The
real fight is ongoing against the currents of repression, and siding
with people of all genders and lifestyles who will assist in
advancing correct political lines, and resist trends and struggles
that keep the oppressed nation on the cutting edge of surviving
government-sponsored mental, physical, and spiritual genocide.
These struggles aren't
barred from behind prison walls. They are created here, as time and
oppression builds resistance. Whose side are you on?
Jason Renard Walker #1532092
Ellis Unit
1697 FM 980
Huntsville, TX 77343
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