Unacknowledged Victims of the DOC

FAMILY INDEX

***

IS THERE ANY HOPE?

QUIT BEING A MOM?

UNACKNOWLEDGED
CHILDREN

TODAY I WALKED
WITH MY DAD

THE OVERCOMERS

COOKIES FOR GUARDS

BIG CRIME
LOVING MY SON

***

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

DANNY, MY BROTHER

***

BEHIND BARS
AND FORGOTTEN

***

PREJUDICE AND PASSION

GIVE ME A BREAK

***

LONG AWAITED VISIT

A CRY FOR HELP

***

COURAGE IN
THE FACE OF FEAR

***

A GUARD'S VALIDATION

STANDING WATCH

***

***

WE'RE NOT DONE YET!

TELEPHONE CALLS

HEARTBREAK OF THE FAMILY

DOC, FAMILIES, AND INTENSIVE CARE

WHY THE FAMILIES?

HOPE

THANKSGIVING

***

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

***

***

THE PRISON CHAPLAIN

SUPPORT 1

SUPPORT 2

SUPPORT 3

SUPPORT 4

SPECIAL PROJECTS

DOC FACTS

***

BOGUS DRs
How to Reverse Them

RESOURCES

***

FBI CITIZEN COMPLAINT

***

CHALLENGES

***

SMUGGLER'S TALES

FLORIDA PRISONS

PRISON WORKERS'

***

OUT-OF-STATE

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

I come to you
 Broken, unspoken, just a token
 Will you make me whole again?
 
I come to you
 From a wasteland, with empty hands
 Will you put your hands in mine and fill them up again?
 
I come to you
 Battle-scarred, battle-charred
 Will you assuage these wounds with your loving touch?
 
I come to you
 Torn and ripped, a good deal chipped
 Will you repair the damage done?
 
I come to you
 With untold fear,
 Will you help me build my trust again?
 
I come to you
 Without a name, not the same
 Will you help me be myself again?
 
I come to you
 Used, misused, and abused
  Will you let me live again?
 
 
November 16, 2000
 Miss X

Shared by Joyce josalma@tds.net

HEARING ON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

The Public Hearing Committee that I attended and spoke at in Boston at the State House on the 15th went well.  I was emotionally drained for some time afterwards.  Seeing the Commissioner of Corrections and hearing him testify and lie took a lot of energy out of me.

It made my testimony stronger though, as I informed the Committee that the Public Safety is a concern of mine as I am part of the Public and after leaving an abnormal environment (Solitary Confinement) and returning to a normal environment; I am not.

I can not pretend that all is normal with my tax dollars and the prisons that it contributes to building.  I have become dysfunctional in a normal environment that allows our tax dollars to create dysfunctional men and women due to the affects of Solitary Confinement, that will some day once again be part of the society that we consider normal and safe.

I stressed to them that we the people, tax payers and voters should not have to endure the affects of Solitary Confinement and not only what it does to our loved ones but also what it does to us in the free world.  For we can not walk away from that place and pretend that we are not affected.  It carries over into our personal and professional lives.

So the safety of the public is our loved ones, therefore us.

When I completed my testimony the people applauded and the Commissioner and guards remained silent. 

I went to see my son (Solitary Confinement) two days later and he is doing well, but I left that unit more determined to fight the system and when I think of my beautiful son and the strength he has to endure such hell, I am strong, I am powerful and he and those that endure this hell are my light.

We need all states to see and realize that Solitary Confinement is extending beyond the wall onto the public.

By the way, the poem "I come to you" was attached to my written
testimony that I presented to the members of the committee.
Barbara



Subject:
Prison life.2004
Saturday, August 28, 2004

My name is Stefani and I'm from NJ. My son was sentenced to 14mos.approx. and was sent to Hamilton Correctional. While there we complained for him to the warden and Tallahassee that his life was being threatened by a predator. The warden put him in what we thought was protective custody but everything seemed to backfire as the officers were abusive and he was mistreated. The warden told him not to complain anymore. Some of his time was taken away and this is what we want back. He was finally moved to Putnam Corr. which he finds to be more agreeable and have better conditions. He has found that there are many others who have had and have similar complaints. There have even been deaths due to some inconsistencies and cruelties. But we are hesitant to complain until he is out and free! Do you have any suggestions? and is there an ongoing investigation?

This section of Making the Walls Transparent is devoted to people like Frank Valdes' wife and widow, Wanda; people who are non-prisoner victims of the Florida DOC.

The USA currently has more prisoners than Communist China and even Russia. There are over 2 million prisoners in America, plus another 5 million who are currently supervised people currently in the system in the USA.

The ripple effect of the families and friends whose lives have been changed solely from their loved one's incarceration, greatly increases this 7 million figure!

We have created polls, and asked family members how this WOULD change their vote for elected officials. They were asked if they would vote for ANY party, if the individual representing that party would stand up and be counted in the fight for positive prisoner rights, as well as the rights of their families. We also stipulated in these polls that their vote would be due solely to the personal experience of having their loved one in prison.

When we averaged the figures from these polls, we now have 4.3 supporters per prisoner, not counting the prisoner!!

That accounts for another 30 million plus on the outside that would like to see positive changes within our penal system!

Now the figure is up to 37 million plus and that is not even counting people like me, who have no one in prison, but who cares that the keepers provide at least the minimum standard of care required by law and behave in a professional manner.

If you have a family experience who could enlighten those with no knowledge of or experience with the brutality of today's prison practices, please share.

The public WOULD care - if they only knew.

If you have experienced stress, pain, depression, or health problems directly related to DOC activities: Contact me, Kay Lee,
404-212-0690

Making the Walls Transparent