Kay Lee... None of the guards will tell any of the inmates what is going on when they are asked... so the inmates just listen and watch and hear officers discuss things amongst themselves as if the inmates were no more than a deaf and dumb dog that can't understand.
They have a new Captain Keebler there at Okeechobee. They say she is crazy and she really comes down on the inmates and starts a lot of crap with them.
Galis worked Tuesday 3-7-06 and Wednesday 3-8-06. On
Tuesday, March 7th the Warden, the Captain, the Inspector and possibly Villacorta or Harrell, not
sure, and a few others went in to Okeechobee C.I. It is reported they did not go where the prisoners were, but a few guys were called out to be questioned by these top DOC officials. Jason Spicey got spayed later after the top officials left... probably because he was one of the inmates called to be questioned by the top officials. I wish they knew the left retaliation going on behind them.
NAMING OKEECHOBEE OFFICERS
EXTORTION AND RACKETEERING
"We will see what goes on with the CO's. They operate at illegal level, including extortion and racketeering activities. The only way of safely bringing them down is by using transmitters to listen to their conversation of business among themselves.
This place is out of control concerning codes of professional ethics. No respect, no principals, and no morals. I never thought that there would be such
low life's in charge of a Dept. such as this.
The staff together with inmates working for them sell:
1 - job changes for up to $50.00
2 - Rooms and Dorm changes for up to $l00.00
3 - Shampoo bottles of pure bleach for $2.00, each stolen from the caustics room.
4 - Cash money can be exchanged for canteen items through the staff canteen. Items through the staff canteen -- inmate who works in CO-host with the security #9 Sgt. who searches inmates and takes their food and tobacco items from them for profit.
This is only a list of four things that happen daily. "
"It's the "Caustic Room" they're talking about. That's where they keep all the caustic cleaners, polish, wax, soaps, window cleaners, etc. They are given out on certain days each week to each housing area and dorm.
There has always been a market for the materials from there [guards selling to inmates] Guys have to buy wax for their cell floors, bleach to do their personal laundry. Things like that. At UCi we had to buy our own paint to repaint our cells. It was useless to wait for the staff to get around to painting cells. Had to get it done yourself. We bought paint from PRIDE to paint most of the showers in C-Dorm when I was there." ~Bob
NAMING SGT. BELL
For punishment above and beyond
rules and regulations
I have sent many letters to DOC from Okeechobee CI prior to your assignment.
This facility certainly needs looking into.
I
received the following letter from '**' (name
removed from webpage to prevent retaliation)
from Okeechobee CI. I am typing it for you and I will send the original in US
mail today.
To James R. McDonough, Sec.
Florida Department of Corrections
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2500
Dear Secretary:
Obviously your staff at Okeechobee CI feels that their job consists of
harassing and/or using torture techniques against the prisoners.
For nearly two months we the prisoners housed in E dormitory went all day long
with the heating system working full speed sometimes with temperatures over 80
degrees.
Subsequently, when complaints through the grievance process Assistant Warden
Keggreries denied the grievance and continued to inflict the torture of
excessive heat on the prisoners housed in E Dorm, until the last part of the
month of February.
However, Correctional staff has now adopted a new method of torture, the use
of excessive lighting in the housing unit by continuously keeping over 82 high
powered lights on all through the day light hours including room/cell lights
at full speed in a housing wing that only house 86 prisoners.
Subsequently a complaint has bee filed through the grievance process which
apparently security in charge disregarded the complaint by not responding nor
returning the grievance form to the grievant.
The only response received was the housing
Sgt.
Bell
who decided to make a mockery of the issue by playing with the lighting system
and turning on further additional lights inside the wing.
On February 24, 2006, the second step of the grievance process was filed
concerning the excessive lighting issue.
Apparently on February 28, 2006, security altered the lighting system to a
higher degree in order to show their unsupervised power of authority in
physically and psychologically abusing the prisoners with deliberated and
intelligent intentions to molest the prisoners and possibly cause eye sight
damage do to the unnecessary and continuous excessive lighting.
The use of constant lighting inside the prisoners room/cell is nothing other
than a capricious decision by
Sgt.
Bell
to harass the prisoners due to the fact that security has no meaningful use
for the room/cell lights unless officers are conduction security activities
within the housing unit in need of additional lighting.
Respectfully submitted
NAMING COL.
BLACKWOOD
For punishment above and beyond
rules and regulations
I
received your letter and the info about our new secretary. I hope he fires
them all and eventually gets to Okeechobee. These people here are in need of
finding a new job themselves.
I am going with a grievance to Tallahassee. I will send you a copy when they
rubber stamp it for me. :) I might file several more on Sgt. Bell. He
thinks that what he is doing is funny because the colonel supports him as well
as the others on their abuse of authority.
The Col.'s name is
Blackwood.
He comes from Charlotte CI according to what I have learned about him. He
used to be very abusive to the guys on CM and used to starve the guys by
serving them empty food trays covered, with the top on them, showing the video
that his officers did serve a food tray in the prisoners cell if they filed a
complaint. According to what I have learned this type of actions was called
by them as putting the prisoner "In
the Program."
We continue to receive 2 hours of rec yard if that each day while security
enjoys themselves horse playing around the roadway in front of the canteens
with their favorite black prisoners.
They do not want Hispanic prisoners around this place especially when they
hang out with their friendly prisoners because they claim Hispanics are
snitches and homosexuals.
All of this is funny to me except for the fact that they do it with malicious
intentions. These officers have some corrupted minds that are used to
abuse their authority by playing dirty games.
RE: Okeechobee C.I in Region IV, Director Marta Villacorta.
March 9, 2006
This is my second request for an investigation into and resolution of dangerous practices at Okeechobee CI., many of which are listed on the MTWT Okeechobee Website at
http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/prison/okeechobee.html
It has become very obvious that the guards (as opposed to officers) at this prison do not feel the need to clean up their act just because a new secretary is at the helm. I know that Sec. James McDonough has been holding meetings with wardens etc in his effort to raise the department standards. I'm sure it is only a matter of time before he reaches Okeechobee and I intend to do everything possible to hurry that time along before someone is hurt, officers or inmates.
There is one prisoner in particular whom some of the named officers have decided to blame for all the information coming in for my Okeechobee site. Even though the information is actually coming from a number of sources, this prisoner has been threatened specifically relating to this website.
I am offended that employees who already have less than the normal showing of job professionalism and personal ethics would use my site as an excuse to harass anyone.
I want to stress that the errant behavior at Okeechobee is being reported by a number of sources, and it is no longer understandable that it be ignored.
The games guards play are normally petty and childish, but the fake DRs and mental stress and physical abuse are dangerous and illegal, and, if James McDonough is as honorable a man as I think he is, this behavior will not be tolerated long. All I need to do is bring it to his immediate attention.
Therefore, I would like to once again alert the Region IV Director, the Okeechobee warden, assistant wardens and Sec. McDonough that this rogue behavior is a very real thing among some of the employees at Okeechobee CI., particularly Sgt. Murphy and his bunch, and that at least one inmate is in dire straits at their hands because of the reporting of the situation.
Please check MTWT's Okeechobee site for more details one who, what, when, where and how. I do not know the why of the continued lack of oversite on these officers.
Kay Lee ******************
EVEN MORE DETAILS about Okeechobee CI
* We see all the tension building up in here, and don't want to be part of it. It's a shame how things are! More and more of the nasty abusive officers are working and the good or decent ones are leaving here.
* Things are not getting better here, they are getting worse! They have both lock up wings filled up and there are 45 or more guys with more than 30 days on D.C. confinement. Officers say it has never been this bad.
* B-dorm - It has gone from bad to worse now. The guards make it hard for the trustees to work back here . The guards are wearing those State DOC caps inside of the building, which they are not supposed to. When doing something wrong, the guards cover their badges so that inmates cannot identify them.
* The guards on the 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift are always sneaking around trying to catch an inmate doing something against the rules.
* Guards search cells every day when the inmates go to shower, tearing up inmates' property and throwing things all over the floor to try to discourage the inmates from taking showers. No showers, less workload for officers.
* The guards are always - always - threatening to spray the inmates with mace.
* The guards walk past about every 30 minutes, pretending to be counting so they are not asked for medication or requests for other things that the inmates might need. The guards just brush them off because they are 'busy with count'.
* The guards make the inmates in lockup wear class A uniforms.
* The guards write up DR's on inmates who try to talk to nurses or classification people or anyone else who comes through here, except for the church people.
* In B-dorm the inmates are given dirty underwear, dirty t-shirts, and stained and dirty torn bed sheets and pillow cases. The inmates get one set of blues that are falling apart. They do not get socks to wear and have no way of keeping their feet warm.
* The inmates do not get enough toilet paper given to them to last them through a week.
* The showers are dirty with the drains clogged where they have to stand in 2 inches of dirty water when showering.
* The inmates who shave get recycled razors, the razors are dull at times and they end up with scraped faces.
* Sgt. Murphy is working some days in B-dorm in confinement and always is harassing the inmates.
* The food is served bad and cold most of the time. The trays are dirty and germ infested. It is a matter of time before infectious diseases like hepatitis begin to spread!
THE TROOPS ARE COMING
Naming Officer Bell
Tuesday, March 14,
2006
Secretary McDonough,
I received this letter from Okeechobee CI. I am typing it and will send
original in US mail today.
James R. McDonough, Sec.
Florida Department of Corrections
2601 Blair Stone Road Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2500
Dear Secretary:
Obviously your staff at Okeechobee CI feels that their job consists of harassing
and/or using torture techniques against the prisoners.
For nearly two months we the prisoners housed in E dormitory went all day long
with the heating system working full speed sometimes with temperatures over 80
degrees.
Subsequently, when complaints through the grievance process, Assistant Warden
Keggreries denied the grievance and continued to inflict the torture of
excessive heat on the prisoners housed in E Dorm, until the last part of the
month of February.
However, Correctional staff has now adopted a new method of torture, the use of
excessive lighting in the housing unit by continuously keeping over 82 high
powered lights on all through the day light hours including room/cell lights at
full speed in a housing wing that only house 86 prisoners.
Subsequently a complaint has been filed through the grievance process which
apparently security in charge disregarded the complaint by not responding nor
returning the grievance form to the grievant.
The only response received was the housing Sgt. Bell who decided to make a
mockery of the issue by playing with the lighting system and turning on further
additional lights inside the wing.
On February 24, 2006, the second step of the grievance process was filed concerning the excessive
lighting issue.
Apparently on February 28, 2006, security altered the lighting system to a
higher degree in order to show their unsupervised power of authority in
physically and psychologically abusing the prisoners with deliberated and
intelligent intentions to molest the prisoners and possibly cause eye sight
damage due to the unnecessary and continuous excessive lighting.
The use of constant lighting inside the prisoners room/cell is nothing other
than a capricious decision by Sgt. Bell to harass the prisoners due to the fact
that security has no meaningful use for the room/cell lights unless officers are
conduction security activities within the housing unit in need of additional
lighting.
Respectfully submitted
Secretary McDonough, I have sent many letters to DOC from Okeechobee CI
prior to your assignment. This facility certainly needs looking into.
REPORTED EMPLOYEE 'GANG'
MEMBERS: Sgt. Galis, Sgt. Murphy, Captain Phillips, Lt. Bohanak, Sgt. Silba, Sgt. Dennis
and Officers Bullock, Thomas, and Relford
REPORTED FOR THE
FOLLOWING: Lying on Inmates Threatening and harassing inmates; Inappropriate use of chemical
agents on inmates; Setting up inmates for false drug and weapons
violations; Failure to follow protocol.
There exists in Okeechobee CI a reported group of renagade guards, some of them named above, who work in B and/or G Dorm. This 'gang' of errant guards are said to indiscriminately and randomly threaten, taunt, pepper spray and plant contraband on inmates' property, causing constant and overall inmate fear. Those who complain are further punished, despite their legal right to access the grievance process. This is creating a dangerous and stressful situation for inmates and officers alike.
Sgt Galis in particular has been
known to do set-ups in G dorm and now harasses the inmates at least two days a week in the B dorm confinement area.
REPORTED EXAMPLES OF ERRANT
BEHAVIOR:
Dec. 15, 2005:
Sgt. Murphy and Captain Phillips apparently conspired with Sgt Galis to plant a knife and some pills (Clonodine) under a mattress in cell G3213. The bed Sgt. Galis chose belonged to an inmate who was known for writing grievances. In fact, the inmate had been told previously by Sgt. Dennis, with 'white shirts' present, "If you don't quit filing grievances, we'll do what we have to do." The inmate continued to write grievances on wrong-doing by the officers.
After the contraband was planted
(unsuspected by the two inmates), Sgt. Galis patted the mattress and said with a grin to the grievance writer, "You shouldn't be messing around. It's bad for your health." Sgt. Galis laughed and left.
Shortly after Sgt. Galis left the
cell, officers were ordered to search cells 3213, 3214, 3215 and 3216 on G dorm, where of course, Sgt. Murphy and Officer Bullock found the contraband they assumedly knew was there.
This inmate, who has been DR free for
approximately three years, now sits in confinement as a 'security threat', and even though he has begged for a lie detector test, a fingerprint test on the knife and a urine test to show he hasn't been using drugs, the officers have merely laughed. The DR court refused to order the tests and sentenced the inmate to serve two consecutive 60 day lockups. Sgt. Galis now torments him in
confinement.
PROTOCOL for institutions with two-man cells states that if a weapon or drugs are found in a common area in the cell, both inmates will be locked up on AC until D.R. hearing. The grievance writer was locked up - the cellmate was not.
Wednesday, Jan. 25,
2006: Capt. Phillips and Sgt. Thompson grew impatient with the sick man in cell 22 B dorm. He has cancer, is dying and was 'complaining'. The two officers initiated macing for "running his mouth".
No nurse was called, as far as we know, no videotape was made.
Feb. 9th, 2006,
12:30pm: The old man in Cell B2108 B dorm is "not all there", possibly senile. On this date, he was generally complaining and two officers, Sgt. Silba and either Capt. Campbell or Lt. Hamilton (inmates couldn't
see his badge and weren't sure of his name although they could identify him by sight) began preparing to mace the inmate.
The officers turned the exhaust fans
off and chained the door. The old man called out, "I don't want any problems," but the officers cracked the door open and sprayed gas twice inside the
cell.
The old man has a cellmate. Even though the cellmate was innocent of any infraction, he was locked in the cell and sprayed along with the old man.
PROTOCOL: According to FDOC rules, any use of chemical agents are supposed to videotaped and a nurse is supposed to be called to the scene. Neither is being done in these cases. These officers are not complying with the rules.
I've been told by a number of people
that in recent months Okeechobee has grown nearly as frightening as FSP. Please don't blow this off with that 'all inmates are liars' and 'all officers tell the truth' line because I quit buying both of those statements a long time ago.
I have a list of reported inmate
setups, inmate witnesses, and some affidavits. I will share them with someone ethical in authority who wants to use this information to remedy this situation.
We are requesting an honest and
thorough investigation into these officer's behavior and Okeechobee CI in general.
We also ask that you overturn any inmate DRs these officers have concocted. If any part of these reports is true (and I've worked with one of the inmate complainants a long time and know him to be truthful), these guards should not be wearing officer uniforms.
Kay Lee kaylee1@charter.net 2683 Rockcliff Road Southeast Atlanta, Georgia
30316 404-212-0690
In one phone call awhile back, a warden told me, "in these matters we assume the inmate is lying". I asked what if the inmate had a witness. The warden said, if an inmate is the witness, it won't influence anything. I asked, how many witnesses would an inmate have to have for you to consider what he says? The warden hesitated, thought, and said, "Oh, I don't know, maybe five or six?" Well, here at Okeechobee, we have more than five or six inmates confirming what each other has been trying to tell Tallahassee for months.
NAMING OKEECHOBEE OFFICERS
REPORTED PROBLEM OFFICERS: Sgt.
Murphy, Sgt. Galas, Sgt. Coleman,
Ms. Hare
Officer Durrance, Ms Durrance
(mailroom), and Officer
Villalpaldo
REPORTED FOR THE
FOLLOWING:
Lying on Inmates
Threatening and harassing inmates;
Inappropriate use state
property to intimidate inmates;
Illegal tampering with mail.
Setting up inmates for false violations;
Retaliation.
CROSBY KNEW
Kay --I have copies of 5 letters I sent to Crosby back in Oct from Okeechobee prisoners. They wanted me to send the letters to Secretary Crosby and that is what I did. I typed each one individually and sent it e-mail and then mailed the original to Crosby via snail-mail to back up my e-mail. I gave their names and DC # to Crosby. The men wanted to be heard. That is why the investigator went to Okeechobee and spoke to each of them. Only problem is ever since the investigation, they are all being harassed by the officers.
I had been writing to Crosby about the cold and rats on the row at Union. The first reply "will have it looked into" -- I replied to him stating heat was okay and not rats -- I thanked him - wrote about a week later -- 'officers wearing jackets, must not be that warm' --- got a reply "part ordered" ---- I wrote him back --- "rats no longer in halls or walk ways but still in cells coming in through "shit jackets." Got a reply "will check this out again" ---- got a
letter back from my guys - they put sticky tape in their cells, no more rats --- heat now working'.
He did come through for me there. He did send the inspectors to Okeechobee - what they reported I never heard - but the guys whose names and DOC # I gave to
crosby are all still being harassed by the officers that were named. I know they read my letters to Amado, as back when the case for Darla Lathrem from Charlotte first started, the investigator called my home in Fl. asking me what I knew about it, said they had a letter that I wrote to Amado about the funeral etc. --- I must get him out of Okeechobee --- Lindy has been trying -- but
nothing yet.
I would say post the letter with their names because the DOC already knows about it. It hasn't gotten any better. State that these letters were sent to Secretary Crosby on 10 18 05. "Aunt Bea" NOTE: Sometimes when we complaint to the point where officers HAVE to do something - or stop doing something - they find unique ways of retaliating. Outside complaints and inside grievances are filed year after year about the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer. Here is an example of officer retaliation that is not only childish, but dangerous to the spread of illness and disease and possible inciting of riot.
Kay Lee
Letter from Okeechobee CI - January 1st, 2006
THE HEAT
They have the heat on full blast all day long with temps up to 83 degrees in E dorm. I sent an informal grievance in about the heat.
The reply - "Your informal grievance has been received, reviewed and evaluated and the following determined. The heating system is censored to automatically
come on and shut off according to the regulated temperature in which it is set fore. The officers in the officers station do not have control over
manipulating the heating thermostat. Grievance Denied" -- Assistant Warden Keggreies (sp)
The answer is a lie. Officers can turn it on and off whenever they want to. For instance we got someone to turn it off about l0:00 am and Sgt. Murphy waited till everyone left the dorm for chow and he went up to the top of the
building and turned it on again then wouldn't allow any of his coworkers to go up and shut it off. What does that tell you? That it is intentionally from the
higher ups because of the writeups they get from this dorm.
The CO's and administration will have to burn us to death inside the building, but writing will not stop until they act right.
Another thing that they turn on and off is the major exhaust fan. 15 - 20 times a day. At 9:00 PM to try to burn the motor off to keep us without air circulation for weeks before they would decide to get it fixed. That should be considered destroying and wasting the tax payers money.
Now that we have Sgt. Murphy to work our dorms, the heaters are now working stronger and under hotter weather conditions. That is what they put him in here
for.
Sgt. Murphy is one of those officers that uses steroids to beef up their appearance. He is the closest you can imagine to a maniac, a very abusive officer with a violent attitude and a long history of physical abuse on prisoners. I personally have witnessed some of his abuses.
It would be a good idea if you passed his name on to the Feds to have him checked out for steroids.
It is now 9:40 AM. We have been locked in our cells since 9:00 PM for master roster count without any air circulation and likely room temperatures of 100 degrees.
This is under the management and supervisions of Gestapo Sgt. Murphy.
I imagine that the government of the United States must be really proud of Sgt. Murphy's representation of the human rights which the US so proudly proclaims around the world.
RETALIATION
Another
thing is the method of retaliation used by the staff when prisoners file valid complaints. For instance, on Dec 3, 2005, I filed an informal grievance concerning excessive heat in the housing cells because security turns the
heaters on full blast with temperatures of sometimes 80 degrees.
Assistant Warden Keggreries responded claiming that the officers had no control over the heating system, that it works automatically. Then on the side
of the response written with ink, "maintenance had been contacted".
However it is Jan 1, 1006. The temperatures last night were in the 70's and the heater came on Jan 1, 2006 at 7:05 am when the temperatures are rising to 81.
The heater will be kept on for most of the day. By the time it has turned off, the walls on the whole building would be as hot as the walls back in the Hitler days. The walls will stay hot until way after midnight.
This is happening in E dorm basically, where I am housed.
Both Assistant Wardens Keggeries and Mathews are state officials who are never removed or changed from their position, while the Colonel and Warden are continuously changing, But the administration and security operations remain as always, the same.
The warden now is Lambdin. He is also Fred Watson's buddy. The man who filed a false close management report against me on Dec 1995 in cohost with the inspector general's office and the prosecutor and lead detective of my case.
Warden Lambdin was the Hardee CI warden back then, which they used to manipulate the false placement in CM. This warden is also the man responsible for their deliberate act of infesting me with hepatitis C at Hardee, CI in 1997 while on CM and he knows I advised him of his actions and he lied to me.
But according to the mailroom personal I am 'A Rat' for saying all these things, which they so much enjoy the pleasure of, to prisoners which oppose their evil
instinct.
What it truly boils down to is that the mailroom personel consider me a Rat, which to me is an honest compliment because a person can only be Ratted-on when they do something they are not supposed to. So in this case the mailroom personal are admitting that they are doing wrong.
Another thing is that one of the mailroom workers has a daughter who supposedly is the assistant warden Keggerie's Secretary. So she feels well protected to do anything she wishes upon prisoners on account that Assistant Warden Keggeries will protect her from all complaints, Of course it is a family business that we are all talking about.
Also there is information that Officer Hare and Officer Villapaldo are making arrangements with the prisoners working the caustics room, which is one of those
happens to Ms. Hare's boyfriend. According to the prisoner and facts itself, they mean to set me up with "drugs" or "weapons" which I do not possess.
Another one of the mailroom workers is the wife of officer Durrance the officer that falsified inmate Alberto Pedroza DR during the last riot we had here. Pedrozas was filing complaints against the costic room officer, which was
officer Durrance's coworker, and her inmate workers for stealing and selling the bleach. They are all petty thief's. Inmates, officers and all.
THE ROPING
- January 19th, 2006
This is an organized Mafia that goes on here, determined to illegally act and lie under any and all circumstances. Do you remember me telling you of the possible set up by the C/Os?
Anyway Manuel Chignon was roped in the chow hall on Jan. 17, 2006 at approximately 5:00 PM and accused of stalking the female officer, the same one that lead to his incident with K. Hare, who was allegedly sexually harassed by Chiong. This CO's name is Ms. Durrance, the wife of officer Durrance, the officer that a fabricated the DR on Alberto Pedroza on Aug 7th, 2005, during the last riot that occurred. Ms. Durrance is also the mail room employee who coincidentally was removed from her mail room position
immediately after the mailing of the letter to you not too long ago.
To my understanding Sgt. Galas was the one that threw the first rope accusing Chiong of stalking Ms. Durrance in the chow hall. He was then escorted by security Sgt. Coleman, and information reveals that Sgt. Murphy also got
involved at the end of the roping and my understanding Manuel will receive 5 DR's. He is currently on a hunger strike in the clinic psych cell. **More
about Manuel Chiong.
**MORE
ABOUT MANUEL 'Manny' CHIONG
Have you known of the small group of Cubans that took over the Federal Correctional Facility a few years back and demanded deportation back to Cuba and I think that a deal was made through activist and politicians to return them back to Cuba in exchange for the release of the hostages?
Well, Manuel Chiong happens to be the only prisoner not included because he has been accused of sexual offense and was held up by the Feds.
His mother got really upset about the government having lied to her about the deal that all were e going to be returned back to Cuba. His mother cleared up
to the Federal facility and went on over 40 day hunger strike to help her son.
It appears that her son has been framed up by these three mentioned Sgt. All three of them have a large pattern of improper use of authority and are experts at
lying against inmates. St. Galos and Murphy are both members of the old Aryan Boys of the City Gang that was partially dismantled here by Col. Anderson who left to some other place a little over a month ago.
Manuel's mother was contacted and detailed about what has transpired with her son and she would talk to the congress and some other political reps that she knows.
I believe that Chiong might have received DR from each of these Sgt. that would not look any good, but CO's feel that they are untouchable as their boss will protect them and business will continue as usual.
THE MAILROOM
On Nov. 23 I met with Inspector Carter concerning the complaint filed against Ms. Hare. Inspector Carter said to contact him if I had any problems and he would
transfer me. He said I could contact him through Capt. Chesfield.
These people believe because I am Hispanic I'm supposed to be stupid and can't see through their intentions. These people's intentions are to lock me up and then transfer me under security station to wherever they feel like sending me for reasons that no one else had caused other than security themselves. I will tell you how we stand with these people right now.
Ever since I spoke with Inspector Carter, my incoming correspondence, specifically Lillie's letters, are being tampered with by the mail room personal. On the first letter they tampered with, they wrote "Security Binosis: which I'm sure means "Security be nosy". Last week I received another letter from Lillie and it had a small drawing on the upper left corner of the paper - a
mouse trap - I'm sure meaning to call me a rat. Yesterday on the 29th, I got another letter from Lillie - the envelope had written on the back "1846L"
which may be the amount of correspondence that has come in through an undetermined period of time.
This kind of behavior does not really bother me, but when I watch their behavior with that of some prisoners in the compound, it is consistent.
For instance, someone has sent information against Sgt. Coleman the new security, 9 officers in charge of inside security. Since early this month I have seen Ms. Hare running after him in an unusual secretive manner.
Last week
** Manny Chiong, one of the prisoners, also part of the sexual complaint that you filed to secretary Crosby on Oct l6,2005 against Ms. Hare and her husband, said that
he had written to you again because he has been harassed by other c/o's concerning the complaint. On this letter that he wrote to you he mentioned a new officer Villalpaldo.
Then on Dec. 28,2005 only a few days after the mailing of this letter, Ms. Hare brought this officer around me to point me out as 'the person responsible behind the complaints'.
This only means that the mailroom personnel is providing information to the officers affected by the prisoner complaints. This is causing me continuous problems with other correctional staff and the prisoners of the black origin which are used by some or many of the officers which, for more then one reason or another, befriends them for the purpose of pulling dirty and sometimes unlawful work for them.
So before MS. Hare is instigating the blacks by telling them I am gay in an effort to provoke a violent act against me either way. Now security 9 Sgt. Coleman and his buddies are conducting random shake downs on dormitory wings and Ms. Hare is telling the blacks that I am the snitch, which is untrue, because my complaint is against correctional officers, not prisoners. There are no white
nor Hispanic prisoners instigated. In fact, I believe that whites and Hispanics are totally unaware of what is happening between me, the con's and the blacks.
The actions described herein by these officers and Depts. are deliberately and intelligently conducted based upon their trained personal knowledge by department of correction officials involving the right to sovereign immaturity and rule 33-208 of the department, which gave full power of authority to the inspector general's office and the secretary to discipline officials for wrong
doing according to their personal direction.
CONSTANT LOCKDOWN
Okeechobee CI is a facility totally unsupervised by the Secretary's office. For instance the prisoner's general population is daily locked down in their rooms and housing units for over 22 hours daily without recreation activities. Only a handful of black prisoners are released to wonder and socialize with correctional staff for several hours each day.
According to some correctional officers, the reason why we are deprived of recreational activities is because the land on which the facility was built is leased, and the other complaint is when close management was removed from the facility for housing l600 prisoners on the yard, which was not on the contract. It was actually for CM purpose and intended that most of the population would be locked down.
We have got a new colonel. He's been a few times around the facility. He knows the facility's being kept under lock down status and I'm quite sure that he
already knows everything else that is going on too.
READERS' COMMENTS:
You are half right and half wrong. Chemical agents do NOT have to be videotaped. You are correct that he must have medical attention after the application of chemical agents and it must be documented. Check the facts before you castigate Officers. If the inmate has a cell mate then it is
unfortunate but we cannot remove him from the cell by rule.
"SOUNDS LIKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF OFFICERS NEED TO START LOOKING FOR A JOB. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH THE WARDEN AT OCI. IF THIS IS TRUE HE NEEDS TO CHECK OUT EMPLOYMENT AT MCDONALDS TOO.
THERE WERE INACCURACIES. AT A PRISON, CONFINEMENT IS NOT IN DORMITORIES. THEY ARE IN A SEPARATE BUILDING.
YES, INMATES DO LIE AND SO DO OFFICERS. I
ALMOST LOST MY JOB BECAUSE OF AN INMATE LYING ABOUT ME. YOU EXPECT AN INMATE TO LIE. YOU, HOWEVER, EXPECT AN OFFICER TO TELL THE TRUTH. I HAVE FOUND THAT FDOC WILL HIRE ANYONE WHO HAS NO RECORD AND IS WARM AND BREATHING. AND UNDER THE GOOD OLE BY SYSTEM, ANYONE CAN BECOME A WHITE SHIRT.
WHY IS A DYING INMATE IN A CELL AND NOT IN
THE CLINIC OR HOSPITAL? I NEVER SAW PEPPER SPRAY USED THAT WAY. OUR PEPPER SPRAY WAS WEIGHED IN AT START OF SHIFT AND AGAIN AT THE END OF SHIFT. IF THESE THINGS ARE GOING ON IT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. THE IG NEEDS TO BE CALLED IN. AN INMATE CAN FILE AN EMERGENCY GRIEVANCE THAT GOES RIGHT TO THE SECRETARY. I WILL BE INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING THIS. THANKS KAY" ~An ex-Officer
"Kay, That Sgt. Dennis was at Jefferson CI years ago; he was sent to Jefferson for abusing inmates at another prison; he did not change. He
was abusive to the women at Jefferson also. Same case with Sgt. Silba. These people continue to work for DOC and they just cover up their actions."
I guess everybody has to feel superior to somebody, but I sure wouldn't call the following behavior "professionalism". Kay Lee
I know that the hurricanes have created a lot of problems for a number of prisons, and Secretary Crosby is going through his own karma, but water being the stuff of life, I feel it's important to get some attention on the hurricane tainted water at Okeechobee CI. Coming out of the faucets in the cells, is water so nasty that if forced to drink it, inmates are bound to become sick, resulting in more expenses to the taxpayers in unnecessary medical attention.
No alternate source of water is being offered and some are so desperate that they are trying to boil water in creative but not really safe or legal methods. I know your first thought is to go in and punish them for trying to cleanse their water, but I'd really prefer you focus on supplying them clean and safe water to drink.
I hope you will put this complaint at the top of the problems' list and get some clean drinking water to people residing at Okeechobee CI. It just isn't right to make overburdened taxpayers foot the bill for FDOC neglect.
I'm asking readers to forward this message to all medical agencies, personnel and media they know of. We will be watching and will know when the problem is taken care of. We appreciate your attention.
Thank You
Kay Lee kaylee1@charter.net 2683 Rockcliff Road Southeast
Atlanta Georgia 20216-0690
404-212-0690
NOTE: Not necessarily because of our complaint, but the water was restored within the week, although it was nasty tasting and smelling.
OKEECHOBEE
November 2005 Problems
Okeechobee is not going by rules of open population in any other Florida prisons.
1.
Open population phone calls are usually till 11pm - Fri and Sat till midnight. At Okeechobee calls end at 10 every night.
2. All lights go on at 5am and are not turned off till 11 at night.
3. Yellow line - Fact or Fiction? Ms Kole, a classification officer at Okeechobee, says yellow lines are in every prison.
Unnecessary Needling: Prisoners are constantly told by guards that the yellow line is a symbol for cowards. Inmates are not free to walk around - can only move where guards tell them. Not the same as other camps' open population. Strict, more like CM at FSP than open pop. Okeechobee is being run like a military camp.
4. Rumor or Fact: Check this out - Okeechobee experiment under control of a top psychiatrist in Tallahassee. Okeechobee Inmates used for testing the psyche of prisoners and how they respond.
5. Okeechobee - Rumor or Fact? Inmates with Drug DRs are being sent to Okeechobee for the whole Southern area, even if DRs are old ones.
New Law? - Rumor or Fact? Anyone with DR for using drugs gets shipped to Okeechobee, even if DR was years past.
One inmate received DR 2 1/2 years ago for smoking a joint when he learned his dad was dying. It looked like a setup because the drug test came immediately after he smoked. He'd been clean all those years, but just happened to drug test at that moment in time. He was told that he could not move from previous prison for five years, yet after only 2 years, he's sent to Okeechobee. FDOC claims it was for 2 1/2 year old DR for marijuana.
QUESTION: Why would FDOC ship people with drug DRs to a prison that doesn't have a drug program? Dade and Zephyrhills have drug programs, not Okeechobee.
5. Grievances filed by inmates bring retaliation by guards. The Grievance system is supposed to protect
inmates, but instead it causes them extra problems. Some Okeechobee prison workers fabricate DRs, plant objects in cell, picking a fight with prisoner, lock them up in confinement for writing DRs. Inmates are living in fear.
They are also having canteen problems at Okeechobee -- only open a few hours a day for l,600 men--- can't get what they need --- some of the guys are reselling the stuff for higher profits ---- this is dangerous also. Solution? Run regular hours and keep a good stock. Good trade for a little peace. It's all profit anyway.
January 2004: "At OCI - yes, Okeechobee - the inmates used to get real eggs and sausage for breakfast. Now, the eggs and sausage are fixed for and served to the FDC employees there and the inmates do not get them. The food is supposed to go to the inmates and are allotted to them. Aramark apparently supplies the eggs and sausage in the pittance for which they say they can feed an inmate a day, but they are being re-routed to the officers/guards/FDC employees there and the inmates don't get real eggs and sausage any longer.
Also, I am wondering: Who in Jeb Bush's family - his wife or his mother-in-law - owns the large amount of stock in Aramark? Could that be why Michael Moore "rewarded" the governor by giving the prison meal/food contract to Aramark? Have you checked into this?" Keep my name private.
A DEATH: FOLLOWING PROCEDURE? Thursday, June 12, 2003
INMATES' REPORT: "Yesterday June 8th the recreation Dept had a marathon race. One of the guys fainted because it was an eight mile race. I guess he was pushing too hard to be the winner and fainted on the last lap (19) so they call security.
The first CO to arrive was Sgt. Weisman, one dirty (sob). He did not know what to do so the inmates grabbed the guy's body and tried to run with it to medical. I guess the load got too heavy and they set the body down on the ground. One of the inmates started giving first aid so the inmated started to breath again.
By this time the Colonel
McDonald and Capt Coleman were seen entering the recreation area with a bunch of CO/Sgt's and correctional officers. (1) female officer had a video camera and was recording all happenings around the scene.
Once again they played the ole tough guy tactic. Capt Coleman pushed the inmate doing CPR away from continuing to help his fellow inmate and ran everyone away from near the scene, which to me is understandable. What is not understandable is the use of unnecessary force since the guy had not refused to leave; in fact he was likely unaware of what was happening around him because he was busy trying to keep inmate breathing.
Capt. Coleman is known for his aggressive attitute, for physically abusing inmates in confinement and gassing for fun, followed by the filing of bogus DR's to cover up his barbarin.
Anyway most important was the fact that no medical personnel reported to the scene and that this inmate was picked up off the ground by correctional officers, put on a stretcher and carried away. Once outside the recreation field two nurses were seen walking to the roadway toward the recreation field.
Tell James
Crosby to check the video Tape out and to pin point where were the Medical Personal at the time of this particular incident.
Naming Possibly Errant Guards:
Officer Coleman, for stealing, throwdowns, terrorist threats and continual physical abuse of prisoners;
Sgt Yardbrough (Yarborough?), for possibly exacerbating the death of inmate Ashwood;
NOTE: OFFICER'S ACCOUNT: Dear Ms Lee:
"I talked to many inmates about Patrick Ashwood. I talked to three inmates that witnessed the incident and I was told basically the same story by all of the inmates I talked to. Inmate Ashwood was on the recreation field and had been involved in strenuous physical activity and after sprinting some distance, collapsed on the ground. The sergeant mentioned, Sergeant Yardbrough attempted to assist inmate Ashwood by initiating CPR. There is no validity to the rumor that the inmate was murdered. I do not know where that information came from, but you may want to look into that source."
C.O. Okeechobee CI
REBUTTAL
Ms. Lee:
The report concerning inmate Ashwood's death didn't say he was murdered per se --- It agreed exactly with the Officer's statement on your page: That Ashwood collapsed on the rec field. The only detail the two accounts disagree on is that it was inmates, not the Sgt., who were giving Ashwood CPR when Sgt. Yardbrough made them stop -- It was the inmates who picked Ashwood up and started running towards medical to get him help, but once more the sgt stopped them. The general consensus is that because Sgt. Yardbrough wouldn't allow them to help with CPR, he ensured Inmate Ashwood's death. It is commonly felt that Ashwood could have made it had the sergeant allowed the inmates to continue CPR instead of just letting him die without trying. Witnesses' opinion is that Sgt. Yardbrough is not a hero in this situation, as alleged, but a man who behaved in a negligent and unprofessional manner.
"I don't know where the Okeechobee Officer sees that Ashwood was murdered, as in Archie Davis or Frank Valdes murdered -- the report stated that Yardbrough made the inmates get away from Ashwood and stop giving CPR, which is the truth -- I would like to know which inmates this officer interviewed --but I'm sure he won't give out that information-- Also the officer who said he wanted more information about what happened to Ashwood? Well this is the story as it happened!"
There was one more response from the officer but it was lost when my computer went down. If that officer will resend his statement to kaylee1@charter.net, I will gladly post it.
Sgt. Pienowziack, for cussing at a dying inmate Kenneth Bisnett Sr;
Ex-Warden Prevatt for failure to protect his prisoners, refusal of proper investigations, aiding and abeting coverups in his prison,
pretending to believe that his officers don't lie.
It's probable that these people will own responsibility one day, but charges will have to come from outside the prison. Let me share a story I heard of how Okeechobee handles their errant guards: Several years ago, while working as a Captain at Martin C.I., Colonel Piggott from Okeechobee C.I. and several lower ranking officers had gone to a confinement cell late one night to beat three inmates who had taken a female officer hostage earlier in the day in an escape attempt. They were fired, but after 6 months or so, all were rehired - I've been told they might have even received back pay - I guess someone could check on that - and now all have been promoted. The good ol' boy system still prevails but not forever.
Looking at their paperwork, it appears that most of the officers have average or below average IQ's and resent those inmates who are obviously brighter than they are. They write stupid DR's and when they're overturned on appeal, the officers take it out on the inmates who won the appeal instead of learning how to use the language better.
The guards frequently resort to lying on DR's It is reported that they are taught to "write them to stick" We all know the old saw, 'don't let the truth get in the way'? Well, they don't!
"The Feds have been coming here for the last three weeks. They have a bunch of prisoners in confinement and have taken some with them for income tax fraud. Filing false income tax returns - (maybe this is the reason for the current SS numbers check)."
CHRISTMAS AT OKEECHOBEE CI The Creation of Bed Space
To: fplp@aol.com Dec 25, 2003 3:55 PM
Subject: Okeechobee C.I.
First of all, do not do anything with this which identifies me in any way. I am going to try to contact Kay Lee if I can find her e-mail address. Because I might not be able to notify her, please contact her with this, also as soon as possible, but with the same caution about not identifying me.
For the past few days it has been generally understood that at OCI they are putting people into confinement because they don't have enough room in the dorms for the inmates so they give D.R.s for little or no reason at all in order to empty cells/beds in the dorms to make room for inmates being let out of confinement.
But this morning, Christmas Morning, an FDC employee came into "B" dorm on two separate occasions and said that they were going to have to bust four people and put them in confinement because they needed the beds/space for four they are letting out of confinement. This was said within the hearing of many of the men.
That is a horribly wrong thing for them to be doing, because getting a D.R. is a blot on their record which will hurt them when being reviewed for whatever purpose, it takes away their gain time and thereby lengthens their stay in prison.
Also, for inmates who are trying to serve their time, bothering no one, following the rules, to know they are likely to be "chosen" at any time to be one of the ones given a D.R. for no reason, put into confinement and have their gain time taken away, it takes away some or all of the incentive for good behavior and is very demoralizing. Why bother if they are going to be
put in confinement anyway?
For FDC to do that to inmates who are serving their time, trying to not cause anyone any problems, is very wrong. It is wrong that FDC can have and exercise such power over inmates' lives. Please address this wherever it will do the
most good as soon as possible and try to help.
OKEECHOBEE
November 2005 Problems
Officer Coleman, for stealing, throwdowns, 
