INTRODUCTION TO NEW RIVER EAST Representative Case No. 1  by Kay Lee

Gary Brooks Waid
124551   E1124
River Junction Work Camp
300 Pecan Lane
Okeechobee, Florida 

Gary Brooks Waid, is a first time, non-violent Federal marijuana offender [BOP #24582-034].  He was a model prisoner for five years in the federal system until traded to the Florida Department of Corrections, who took possession of his body on  Nov. 5, 1998. 

Guard retaliation on Mr. Waid began when he tried to tell the Miami Herald and other Florida media that beatings by guards were going on daily, that if someone didn't do something, "somebody's going to die".  

Federal marijuana prisoner Gary B. Waid #24582-034 (possibly illegal D.C. #0-124551) tried to expose abuses in the New River Work Camp in Starke in his letter writing campaign to Florida newspapers.

When Valdes was murdered at Florida State Prison,  Waid wrote prolific and detailed accounts of what was going on at New River East. 

Without warning, guards removed Mr. Waid from his cell and confiscated his writing materials. To questions of why? Gary Waid's Miami attorney, Don Cohn (Miami - 305-324-1649) asked, "why?" Major Tyson at New River West replied, "He's being held here for writing letters to the Miami Herald."  As a result, he was put into the "hole" (solitary confinement)  four times '...across the road', as threatening guards like to warn.  NRW is located at  FSP,  where they normally keep people convicted of a violent crime.  On four separate occasions, he did time in the hole at NRW for his Whistleblowing. 

It is plain and clear that a major Florida Statute was violated on these four instances.

F.S. 944.012  (6)  It is the intent of the Legislature (b) To separate dangerous or repeat offenders from nondangerous offenders, who have potential for rehabilitation, and place dangerous offenders in secure and manageable institutions.

 When the warden labeled Gary "High Profile", guards couldn't lay hands on him, but they did tell him, "As soon as people look away, we have plans for you." That was a great deal of stress for a non-violent person to be subjected to. 

Gary Waid's 'whistleblowing' included gathering 13 horribly detailed affidavits of prisoners beaten at New River West and getting them into the hands of his Miami attorney, Mr. Don Cohn, and myself.  I will include one account in this complaint [See Case 3 - Evidence

August 7, 2000 the DOC moved Gary Waid to Butler [aka North Florida Reception Center].  In October, 2000,  51 year old Gary Waid arrived at the geriatric prison in River Junction, where he eats mush, too many beans and old oranges, and mows the lawn at the State mental hospital.

Witnesses to the sequence of events include his attorney, his family, friends, and myself.

Gary Sessler
137085 
New River East
P.O. Box 333
Raiford, FL  32083-0333

Mr. Sessler and others here and throughout Florida have suffered greatly from racial discrimination.  His current situation is almost reverse. Two female black guards have been focused on causing Mr. Sessler problems, and illegal physical abuse (slaps to his face) has occurred. Mr. Sessler's wife contacted me when staff purposely misunderstood her statement, withdrew visitation, lied to her and her husband and interrupted mail between them in retaliation for complaining about prejudicial treatment.

Florida Statute944.8031  Inmate's family visitation;
legislative intent; ...-- (1)  The Legislature finds that maintaining an inmate's family and community relationships through enhancing visitor services and programs and increasing the frequency and quality of the visits is an underutilized correctional resource that can improve an inmate's behavior in the correctional facility and, upon an inmate's release from  a correctional facility, will help to reduce recidivism.

Michael Becraft 
791875 
Baker CI
P.O. Box 500
Sanderson, Fl32087