et al

Tue, 06 Feb 2001 07:59:41
 

An inmate at Union Correctional Institution, Raiford Florida,
has advised as follows:

He has had false disciplinary reports filed against him, this apparently is happening to many inmates at this time at UCI. He is currently in confinement. He has filed 20 grievances to date and filed two reports against guards at Union "Correctional" Institution for the abuse of another inmate, Pressley B. Alston #709795.

An inmate by the name of Pressley Alston #709795 has been put in confinement after trying to commit suicide. The beatings he has received have kept many other inmates awake at all hours. Over the past few weeks this man has been stripped of his clothes and bedding, while the heating has been sucked out of his cell.

This man, who is mentally ill, is being systematically tortured by the guards at UCI. I am hoping that people will write to him and let him know that there are people who are aware of his plight and care about him.

Several months ago advice from another inmate related that Pressley wasn't coping, "who would", and attempted to commit suicide. What did Pressley receive for this? Medical treatment, help of any kind? No! In his depressed state, he received beating after beating, was thrown into confinement and remains there, inmates have reported hearing his screams and are asking for our help.

The guards have, for the past few weeks, stripped him down to his boxers, removed everything from his cell, including all bedding, manipulated the heating system to remove all the heat from that area, and left him there to freeze. Inmates state, "it's a wonder he's ! still alive".

Pressley is just 30 years old, is 5'11" tall and weighs a mere 168 lbs, probably much less now. Please help! I have written to Pressley today, and have other doing the same, these guards need to know that Pressley is not alone, that we are here to help him, that we know what is happening.

Please contact Pressley B. Alston # 709795 at: Union Correctional Institution PO Box 221, P Confinement, Raiford, Florida 32083, I'm sorry, but I do not have the number of his confinement cell.

Further disturbing news from Raiford:

Dear Commissioners, Attorneys and Media,

I am currently on confinement at UCI death row, for disrespect to officers, a false charge my witnesses and circumstances overwhelmed, yet as almost always happens the prison DR court found me guilty of the charge and gave me the maximum, 30 days disciplinary confinement (DC) and 60 days loss of gain time. The guard who instigated the DR also assaulted me with a key later in the day.

I was given a tetanus shot. No investigation followed.

The Big Picture:

It wasn't until I arrived on DC that I got the big picture, which is an explosion of DR's for disrespect to the worst of the staff - incompetent, unprofessional, Nazi racists - to acquire a record, sources say, so that Secretary Michael Moore can have some justification for putting up the wire mesh over cell bars, with locked food flaps, taken our pens and pencils and given us a very shoddy so-called security pen, next to impossible to write with, illegally cutting back on visits to the Law Library, abusive cuffings and other designs in the makings, some of which were proposed earlier.

Also, that the Secretary needs more evidence to justify his budget, so-called "security enhancements" and expenditures, profits to cronies and to spur privatization.

With wire mesh covering our cells and food flaps locked, they should return our pens and other property.

Protocol:

In almost every instance of their fraudulent DR's, inmates kindly and politely requested to see a supervisor, - in cases where inmates are informed of being given a DR, some weren't, generally a Sgt, will check into a matter, and either approve of the DR, or reject it. The Sgt's nor the Lieutenants, who must give their approval for these DR's, don't come anymore, which is strong circumstantial evidence, the grapevine or sources are correct.

We are systematically being abused by the worst of the staff who were formally held in check, now, they are in command in furtherance of an insidious plan. There are many professional staff here also being abused by the unprofessionalism, some shake their heads. The Captain of this unit is called, Capt. Nazi by inmates, and is the worst of the four to have worked here since it's opening in December 1992, they rotate roughly every two years. Many believe that it's the political wind that has Capt. Walmsley behaving like a Nazi.

Abuses on DC:

There's one, possibly two inmates on DC who don't know where they are. Three who have been on DC extensively, and repeatedly written up abusively, who need psychiatric help, not abuse. No proper review is given them to perfect progress, if possible. Two have been smacked around so much while cuffed, they're terrorized at the sound of cuffs and chains, and often refuse to shower unless promised they wont be assaulted, one often refuses to eat. Another inmate mentioned above, also on DC extensively, was stripped to his undershorts on the coldest of winter days and not allowed a blanket nor any other clothing, nor bedding in his cell.

To further punish him, and approximately 50 - 60 others who had the misfortune to be on the same wing, manipulation of the exhaust system began, sucking out all the heat periodically. This was put on an automatic function, so that the entire wing, both upstairs and downstairs, stayed extremely cold, and this continues today, so that it's the only cold wing of the six wings here. It's a miracle inmate Alston is still alive. It was an "attempted murder".

The administration here, I might add, dislikes the older tier of inmates on the back side of the DC tier, for their complaints about cold food and other issues, as do most of the 28 inmates upstairs above us who freeze for legitimate complaints, complaining for Alston.

Grievances and Grievance System:

The ranking staff, including the head Warden, don't always answer grievances, nor are significant grievances circulated per law, nor staff participation allowed. The system is thoroughly corrupt.

Privatization:

Because these fraudulent DR's are written by uniforms (uniformed staff), investigated by uniforms, and DR courts consist of one uniform and one former uniform, guilt and punishment are foregone conclusions without the appearance, nor according the slightest due process, nor equal protection. Given the incompetents, Nazi's and racists on staff, have been set loose to feed these so-called courts and manifest a fraudulent record for the Secretary, and protocol disdained DR courts need to be privatized to give the appearance of fairness, and hopefully accord some due process. Further, that part of the grievance system that handles the appeal of these DR's, likewise should be privatized, so that it isn't the bosses of the uniforms likewise applying his rubber stamp to this mockery as is presently the case, with both levels doing favors for one another.

Since privatization is afoot, now is the time.

Cold Food:

We were told that, $50,000.00 to $90,000.00 was spent on the new food carts and vehicle that pulls them to this unit. These were supposed to take care of the cold food and cockroaches in food problems. Food is routinely cold and unsanitary, with water in the food from an external source.

Staff who serve food, have thrown up their hands in resignation. Formally, staff could plug in past carts and heat the food, current carts don't plug in. The new carts are a failure, no attempt had remedied this. So, to complain is to become a salient target for a DR and DC.

Race:

The four Wardens and next three echelons of uniformed officers are all white and non-sensitive to race related matters, and their effects on both staff and inmates. Racist guards feel right at home. Ranking female staff is virtually non-existent, they're usually held to Sgt. or below.

Visiting:

Nazism and racism insidiously affect visiting. Interracial visiting id frowned upon and persecuted by certain staff. People are targeted in and out of the visiting park. Inmates are written up for the slightest of things, to put them and their visitors in non-contact visiting, that lasts a minimum of a year, hopefully to terminate the inmate, visitor relationship. No authentic rule existed, and probably still doesn't, sanctioning this racist punishment and harassment. This is a violation of rights, of both visitors and inmates, and needs to be thoroughly investigated. If someone visits an inmate too often in a professional capacity, eventually some type of trumped up charged is leveled against the visitor, or inmate, or both, and the visitor is restricted from visiting, especially a female professional.

Florida State Prison Factor:

Inmates who are abused and trumped up on false charges are often sent to death row at FSP. It's a political and abusive move, in and of itself. UCI's death row, is generally regarded by both staff and inmates as the better of the two. Thus, this tactic is used to intimidate both complainers and would be complainees. Politics from the Secretary's office and beyond, often plays a part. Were this corruption before the world, some terrorist would feel justified, the world would question the level of democracy in this society, and if the Governor endorsed this would believe he manipulated and stole the Presidential election.

I say this solely to impress upon you, all the degree of which these abuses desperately need investigating and rectifying.

Respectfully submitted,

Many others would like to sign this letter, but that isn't possible.

END.

CONTACTS:

Beverly George
Director Texas P.L.A.N.
P.O. Box 916
Magnolia, TX 77353-0916
281-356-2961
ahobbit@ev1.net
Columnist Prison Reform
Mental Health Advocate

(Dorina Lisson (ACADP)
eolian@medscape.com )

UPDATE: July 4, 2001

Pressley's family are receiving mail from him and they state their visits have not been banned. I have heard no further reports of abuse. Pressley understandably seems very confused, but he seems ok at this point. Apparently there is a law suit pending, I have no further details on that at the moment, but an inmate has been asked by an Attorney if he will testify. This is all the information I have at this time.

---

Complaints have been sent, among others, to the following:

NAMING 
Florida Corrections Commission Members
2601 Blair Stone Rd,
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2500

Peter M Siegal Esq., Randall C Berg Jr. Esq.
Florida Justice Institute Inc.
2870 First Union Financial Center
200 South Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, Florida 33131-2310

Craig Pittman, Staff Writer
St Petersburg Times
PO Box 1121
St Petersburg Florida 33731-1121

Miami Herald
1 Herald Place
Miami Florida 33132-1693

Gainesville Sun
2700 SW 13th
Gainesville, Florida 32608

 UPDATE: 2003

PRESSLEY ALSTON is still at Union CI but Union's address has changed: Mr. Alston is a young man and Union has become a geriatric prison, so he may not be here much longer. If he is something may be wrong.

Pressley B. Alston
709795
Union CI
7819 N.W. 228th Street
Raiford, Florida 32036-4000

Union CI

MTWT Prison Index